Dashi Karakuri Festivals and Monozukuri
Yoshikazu Suematsu
Emeritus Professor, Nagoya University; Visiting Professor, Aichi Institute of Technology
Karakuri is a Word Unique to Japan
Karakuriis a word unique to Japan which is not found in any foreign language. Although its verb
form “karakuru”can be found in both the Myogoki (1268), Japan’s first dictionary from theKamakura period, andSetsuyoshu, a dictionary from the Muromachi period, there is no listing of thenoun form (karakuri). Therefore, it is assumed that the word karakuri was not widely used until thebeginning of the Edo period.
The word karakurihas a wide variety of meanings. The word is used for “clock,”“loom,” and othermechanical devices as well as to describe the operation and movement of strings and rods
(sashigane), devising of things through ingenuity, or “device,”“mechanism,” or “trick.” In a morenarrow sense, the word is used as an abbreviation for karakuriningyo (karakuripuppet) to mean amechanized puppet which uses strings and springs
which are hidden from view.
Forerunners of Karakuri
Created in the Nara period, the south-pointing
chariot represents the first mechanical karakuri.
According to the Nihon Shoki(The Chronicles ofJapan), Vol. 26, Emperor Tenjiwas presented withseveral south pointing chariotsin year 666 which
tookChinese Buddhist monks Zhi Yu and Zhi
Younine years to construct.In addition, information

Fig. 1

Mechanical South-pointing

Chariot (created by the author)

about a forerunner of karakuri also appears in the KonjakuMonogatarishu (Anthology of Tales fromthe Past), Vol. 24 from the Heian period. One of the stories talked about how Prince Kaya, a skilledcraftsman since childhood, made a doll in the shape of a boy and set it up in the ricefields during ayear of drought in Kyoto. Holding a jug upraised in both hands, the doll would lift the jug and spillwater down on its face when the jug was filled with water. People enjoyed watching the doll inaction and would constantly pour water into the jug which resulted in the fields receiving enoughwater (the KonjakuMonogatarishureferred to this karakuripuppet as a kamae(structure).

From the Heian period to the Muromachi period, kugutsushi(puppeteers, also referred to asebisumai) walked from town to town manipulating small puppets on a box hanging from their necks(kubigakehakomawashi). Kugutsushithat performed tsujishibai (street plays) in the course ofdistributing talismans from Nishinomiya Shrine were well known. There are records from theAzuchi-Momoyama period including those which tell about when Oda Nobunaga invited Tokugawa
Ieyasuand offered him a gold and silver karakuri, and how ToyotomiHideyoshi sat his son Hideyori
on his knees, and the two played with a karakuripuppetwhich spun around when coins were inserted
into it.
Historical Development of KarakuriNingyo
The different types of karakuriningyo are zashikikarakuri(tatami room dolls), which were used inhomes, butaikarakuri (stage dolls), which were used in theater, and dashikarakuri(festival floatdolls), which were placed on festival floats. Here, wewill examine how zashikikarakuriand
butaikarakurispread to the common people of the Edoperiod.
Zashikikarakuri, which include tea-serving dolls,
were widely produced from the beginning of the Edoperiod. During the early Edo period, the dolls wereexpensive and therefore were only for some membersof the upper class, including feudal lords, aristocrats,Fig. 2A poem about a tea-serving doll

and wealthy merchants. However,zashikikarakuristarted to be noticed by the masses as things capable of attracting customers tostallholders, show tents, etc.
Figure 2 shows a pictorial representation of a haiku (poem) written by Kobayashi Issa (1763-1828)
about a tea-serving doll.Preferring to write poems about everyday life experienced by commonpeople, it can be said that his writing about a tea-serving doll serves as proof that the majority ofpeople at that time knew what tea-serving dolls were.

Prosperity ofButaiKarakuri(TakedaKarakuri Theater)
Opened by its first-generation
proprietor Takeda Omi in 1662
(year 2 of the Kambun era) with
its first performance, the Takeda
KarakuriTheater is what allowed
Japanese people to start enjoying
the world ofkarakuriningyo.Spanning fourgenerations and a period of 100
years, the Takeda Karakuri
Theater held performances acrossJapan and earned its popularity.

Fig. 3

An example of one of themodern Japanese by the author)

Takeda Karakuri Theater Hikifuda (translated intoperformances can be seen inthehikifuda(promotional flier).Named NorizomeHairyono Koma, this performance first features akarakuriningyothat rides a horse around in a circle. The doll then gets off the horse and crawls
through a narrow basket, swings on a wooden bell hammer, jumps onto a real living dog (Chin), andfinally runs away backstage. There were around 15 karakuri performances each day with kyogen
playfor children and dances performed between performances. They were very popular among
common people and performed throughout Japan. Karakuriningyoperformancesfeaturing dolls suchas dangaeriningyo(stair-walking dolls which are capable of moving down stairs),mojikakiningyo(writing dolls), henshinningyo(dolls which feature a transformative aspect),gyakutachiningyo(handstand dolls) and yumihikiningyo (arrow shooting dolls) were invented as Takeda Karakuri
Theater performances and enjoyed by the masses.As they spread interest about karakuriningyoto thepublic, Butaikarakuri performances represented by Takeda karakuriaroused curiosity and interest in
the devices and made the public interested in how they were created.

Evolution/Transformation of Takeda Karakuri Theater
It is said that the interest of the masses also shifted away from Takeda Karakuri Theater, whichspanned four generations over 100 years and took the world by storm, as time went by, and towards
shows featuring ikiningyo (realistic dolls), kagozaiku(woven bamboo figurines), and kijin/henjin(freaks/odd people). However, I see thatTakeda Karakuri Theater evolved/transformed
into other performing arts as well as festival
events.More specifically, as shown in Fig. 4,

Evolution/Transformation of Takeda Karakuri Theater

Karakuri Theater

Takeda Karakuri Theater was passed on,transforming into
ningyojyoruri/bunraku(traditional Japanesepuppet theater) in Osaka, kabuki (JapaneseKabuki
Edo (Tokyo)

DashiKarakuri Festival

NingyoJyoruri/Bunraku

Owari (Nagoya)

Osakadance-drama) in Edo (Tokyo), and thedashikarakurifestivalin Owari (Nagoya) whichfeatures a karakuriningyoperformance on theupper tier of the festival floats. It is wellknown fact that Takeda Omi and Kyoto’sFig. 4

Evolution/Transformation of Takeda
Karakuri Theater

Yamamoto Hidanojo of the butaikarakuriworld
were involved in ningyojyoruri. Furthermore, kabuki performances of the Edo period fascinated thegeneral public through the use of keren(stagecraft tricks includingbutsudangaeshi(pulling of
someone into a Buddhist altar), chochin nuke (entrance of character through a paper lantern),chuzuri(use of strings to make actors fly out over the audience), and toitagaeshi(revolving door used
to present one actor as two separate characters). The performance style in which the actors behave
like puppets was also inherited from Takeda Karakuri Theater. It can be said that kabuki of the Edo
period developed by widely adopting artistic techniques from butaikarakuri performance.
DashiKarakuri Festivals
Figure 5 features a map showing areas throughout Japan where dashikarakurifestivals are held (Ref:Hikiyama no Ningyogi. Author: KoseiYamazaki). Although dashikarakurican currently be seen atreligious festivals held in 80 regions throughout Japan, approximately half of them are held in Aichi
Prefecture with 80% held in the Chubu region of Japan. The oldest festival among festivals whichfeaturekarakuriningyoplacedon all dashi (festival floats) is the Nagoya Toshogu Festival.

Aichi PrefectureFig. 5 Map showing areas throughout Japan where dashikarakurifestivals are held
Thedashikarakuri used in the Nagoya Toshogu Festival, a festival celebrated at a Shinto shrine inwhich Tokugawa Ieyasu is enshrined, started to be used when the participating town ofShichikenchodesigned two large two-wheeled wagons made to symbolize poet Saigyo Hoshi andcherry blossoms in 1619. This marked the beginning of dashikarakurifestivals. At its peak during
the Tempo era, the Toshogu Festival is said to have featured nine magnificent karakuriningyofestival
floats (all nine cars featured karakuriningyo starting around 1707), flags, guards, portable shrines,
and other attractions in a parade consisting of 7,000 people. Although the festival unfortunately
came to a halt due to damage incurred during World War 2, its splendor was spread throughout areasof the former Owari Domain where it continues to thrive even today. There are many festivals whichhave been held continuously for more than 200 years, including the Inuyama Festival, with this year
marking the 382nd time that the festival will be held, IwakuraFestival, HandaKamezakiShiohi
Festival, Tsushima Fall Festival, and Toda Festival (Nagoya). Although there are manydashikarakuri performances which are created based on themes from fairy tales, myths, nohdramas,kabuki, etc., there are also many which continue butaikarakurifrom Takeda Karakuri Theater andother sources in its original form.

Map showing areas throughout Aichi Prefecture where dashikarakurifestivalsare held
Number of karakuriningyo: Approx. 400
Number of karakuridashi: Approx. 150

Note: Each number represents thenumber ofdashiin each region.

Fig. 6 Map showing areas throughout Aichi Prefecture where dashikarakurifestivals are held
Role and Significance of DashiKarakuriFestivals
There are many traditional festivals in Japan, including Gion Festival in Kyoto, Tokyo’s Sanja
Festival, the KishiwadaDanjiriFestival of Osaka, Hakata Dontaku Festival, and Aomori Nebuta
Festival. Although these festivals connect the local people and serve as something for them to live
for as well as contribute to the tourism industry, as with other types offestivals,dashikarakurifestivals, in which dashi appear in full force at regional shrines presentingkarakuriningyoperformances, competing for applause and cheers from spectators, have come to playthe following major roles in addition to connecting local communities and families and helping
tourism.
(1) In addition to being events that transmit culture and art, dashikarakurifestivals continually
makespectators interested in scientific technology and continually cultivate creativity. Although theKosenRobocon event was adopted in 1988 as an opportunity to put creative education into practice,
we can probably say that dashikarakurifestivals have played the same role for several hundred years.
(2) Dashikarakuriperformances pass on several hundred years of wisdom and skills used for thepurpose of deeply impressing spectators, making them clap and cheer. So not only are they valuablefrom a mechanical perspective but also from a perspective of adding emotional value.
Dashikarakuriperformances point the way to people-driven robotic design.
(3) Viewing the wonderfulkarakuriningyo performances at festivals held once a year which bringfamilies and members of the community together has led to Japanese people liking robots, thecreation of everyone’s favorite hero Astro Boy, and promoted the adoption of robots for industrial
use whichstill continue to be most prevalent in the world in terms of number.
Karakuri and Monozukuri
As stated at the beginning of this text, the wordkarakuri does not simply mean karakuriningyo
wooden robot. It has a broader meaning which includes Japanese clocks, looms, and othermechanical devices.
It is well known that Sakichi Toyoda’s efforts to improve wooden looms (considered to be karakuri)
were connected to the development of the automotive industry, including today’s Toyota Motor
Corporation. However I would like more people to know that the dashikarakurifestivals held
annually in Aichi Prefecture and other partsof the Chubu region, which I have describedin this text, serve as a source of industrial
technology in the region.
In addition, efforts for improvement anddedication have been actively taken at

The weight of the product compresses a spring which moves

manufacturing sites throughout Japan since

the transporter forward carrying the product.

the start of the 21st century based on thekeyword karakuri.
Karakuri Kaizen(Improvement throughkarakuri), a registered trademark of theJapan Institute of Plant Maintenance, is an
The transporter returns to its original starting position byactivity which addresses (1) the joy andutilizing the restoring force of the spring.

interest of devices, (2) low prices and (3)high reliability resulting from creating simple
mechanisms. The concept of Karakuri
Kaizen has also spread to various Asian
countries in recent years.The image on theright shows a model of the unpoweredFig. 7

Unpowered transporter: Dream

Carry model

transporter, Dream Carry, which is typical example of Karakuri Kaizen. It was invented byShigeharu Ikeda, who was at the time an employee of Aisin AW Co., Ltd. that cleverly put thegravitational force of products to use, getting the idea from a tea-serving doll that he saw during hischildhood.Receiving the Grand Prize of the First Monozukuri Nippon Grand Awardheld in 2003, thisinvention uses the gravitational force of the product placed on top throughout the entire operation,
carrying a product from the ending point of one production line within a factory to the next
production line using a driving force and spring energy to return the empty transporter to its originalposition. There are now many versions of this unpowered transporter which are currently inoperation at over 30 locations.
Establishment of a Karakuri and MonozukuriPermanent Exhibit
Nogaku Theatre, Ningyo Johruri Bunraku Puppet Theater, and Kabuki Theatre were registered as
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage assets in 2002, 2004, and 2006 respectively. Later, Washoku(traditional dietary cultures of the Japanese, notably for the celebration of New Year) was registed
followed by Washi (craftsmanship of traditional Japanese hand-made paper). Yama, Hoko, Yatai,
float festivals in Japan were registered in 2016.
With Aichi Prefecture serving as the core, the Chubu region has turned into a world center forindustrial technology overthe span of several decades.
I claim that the source of
this industrial technology
lies in thedashikarakurifestivals
which have delivered
traditional Edo
karakuriperformance to thepresent day. Therefore, I
would like to suggest theestablishment of apermanent exhibit in Aichi
Prefecture with the theme“DashiKarakuriFestivals

Fig. 8 Permanent exhibit where dashikarakuri can be performedand Monozukuri.” This
would provide information
about the historical details behind the manufacturing industry, including clock, loom, machine tool,and transportation machinery manufacturing, which has developed in this region since the Meiji
period, feature an exhibit showing examples of KarakuriKaizen, and a permanent exhibitwith a stage
highlighting the interesting aspects and enjoyment of karakuriningyoperformance. Since there aremany dashikarakuri that exist in this region, it will probably be possible to create karakuri
performance programs that change each week, commissioning performances byvarious festival
preservation associations.
With a rotating stage which allows for preparation of the next karakuriperformance out of view, I
want this to be a place where audiences can fully enjoy karakuriningyoperformances. The majorityof dashikarakurifestivals are held from April to June and during October in the fall. Although I havealso been interested in karakuriningyo for more than 20 years, I have only seen 20% of thedashikarakuri found in the region. This is also one of the reasons why I would like to see theestablishment of a permanent exhibit where karakuri performances can take place.

References:Kazutoshi Hayashi,Karakuri Gogenko.Journal of Nagoya Women's University, Issue No. 62(Humanities/Social Science), p. 332.
Kosei Yamazaki, 1981. Hikiyama no Ningyogi.Toyo Shuppan.
SeisakuYamada (editor), 1993. Ookarakuri-edukushi.Beizando, KishoFukuseikai
Yoshikazu

Suematsu,“Ookarakuri-edukushi”

http://karafro.com/ookarakuri/ookarakuri.html)

intomodernJapanese(webpage,