During our trip to Japan with Cédric, we visited a few flea markets (Nomi-no-ichi) in Tokyo and its surroundings.

What attracted us, among other things, were the kokeshi, these cute little traditional Japanese dolls.

The kokeshi is a small hand-painted wooden doll. The first kokeshi were made by artisans one hundred and fifty years ago in the north of Japan's largest island, Honshu. First intended for children, these little dolls are now offered as tokens of friendship or love.

I had fun photographing them. They all appeal to me for different reasons. For one, it will be her mischievous little look, for the other her funny silhouette.

They inspire me a lot and it makes me want to take out my gouaches to redraw them all, reinvent them!

If you are planning a trip to Japan, there are very specific dates for the bullet points, such as "every 1st Sunday of each month" or "every Tuesday morning of the second week of the month", so you have to be sure. organize if you are not going away for long and you want to visit them!

Some links to help you on your journey:
http://www.guidejapon.fr/ville-tokyo/marche-aux-puces-oedo-antique-market
http://www.lejapon.org/forum/content/900-Les-marches-aux-puces-de-tokyo
http://www.guidejapon.fr/ville-kyoto/marche-puces-toji
https://www.tourisme-japon.fr/a-voir-a-faire/loisirs-citadins/shopping