Ryūkyū Hariko / papier-mâché figure

   In the past large-scale iirimun (toy markets) used to be take place on yukkanuhii (meaning “the 4th day”) every year in Okinawa. While yukkanuhii meant the 4th of May on the lunar calendar, in actual fact it denotes the 5 days from the 1st to the 5th of May full of events for kids. The toys markets are held between the 1st and the 3rd, the haarii dragon boat race is held on the 4th, while on the 5th children receive amagashi (porridge-like dessert made from barley, mung beans and brown sugar).

   During this period Ōdōri street and side roads near the harbor area of Naha city would become lively with lots of street stalls selling toys hung on door panels. The toys being sold included hariko (papier-mâché figures), clay dolls, wooden toys, among others. Apart from certain types of toys, there were no craftsmen specializing in making them at the time, so skillful people or craftsmen would make toys in their breaks from work during the festival period.

  Despite the great popularity enjoyed by the folk toys markets in Naha, toys made on mainland Japan known as Yamato-iirimun (Yamato toys) such as tin toys and wind-up toys began to appear around the middle of the Taishō period. As a result of these toys of the new era, traditional folk toys like the hariko papier-mâché gradually lost popularity at the toys markets. Eventually, the curtain would also close on the toys markets due to the outbreak of WWII. The toys markets were never revived after the war, and Ryūkyū Hariko became rare folk-craft toys only owned by collectors.

A cutter or knife is used to cut an opening into the papier-mâché.

A weight made from clay is attached to the bottom of the re-joined papier-mâché.

The back is painted red and the lower front yellow, leaving the face part white. The nose, eyes and eyebrows are then painted in black.

Born in Okinawa in 1976, Morito Toyonaga began making Ryūkū Hariko papier-mâché figures (whose production had once been suspended) after studying sculpture at Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts. His creative papier-mâché figures include traditional motifs, as well as characters from mythologies, folklores and fairytales from around the world. Thanks to him, Ryūkȳu Hariko figures that once became items only owned by collectors have become familiar items again. Furthermore, he has also been collaborating with craft artists from other fields, actively creating glass paintings, lacquer paintings, ceramic paintings, among others. His works have also been selected for several exhibitions at the Japanese Folk Crafts Museum.