Danica Davidson
August 4, 2022 
If the Naruto cat toys made you want to get more cute Naruto merchandise, then check out these Kokeshi dolls shaped like Naruto and Sasuke.
Nippon.com explains the history of kokeshi dolls:
“Kokeshi, produced in many hot spring towns of the Tōhoku region, originated in the latter part of the Edo period (1603–1868) when artisans making wooden bowls and trays on horizontal lathes similar to potter’s wheels began using leftover wood to make children’s toys. Kokeshi were originally quite small, to make them easy for young children to grasp. But as kokeshi began to be sold as souvenirs to visitors taking a hot spring cure, they became quite popular. . .”
The Naruto and Sasuke dolls are mostly made from dogwood and chestnut trees in Gumna Prefecture, and are being produced by the workshop “Usaburo no Mago Kokeshi,” which is located in the same prefecture. Right now they can be pre-ordered on the “T Fan Site.”
Each doll is 75 mm tall, which is just under three inches. They cost (individually, not collectively) 4,620 yen, which is approximately $34.53. You can admire the details in them, down to Sasuke’s sharanigan eyes. While the pre-orders are open now, they won’t ship until this fall. The dolls were made to coincide with the 20th anniversary of when the Naruto anime debuted.
VIZ Media has licensed both the manga and the anime of Naruto, and gave this description for the manga’s first volume:
“Twelve years ago the Village Hidden in the Leaves was attacked by a fearsome threat. A nine-tailed fox spirit claimed the life of the village leader, the Hokage, and many others. Today, the village is at peace and a troublemaking kid named Naruto is struggling to graduate from Ninja Academy. His goal may be to become the next Hokage, but his true destiny will be much more complicated. The adventure begins now!”
Source: Crunchyroll News
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, plus its sequel, Manga Art for Everyone, and the first-of-its-kind manga chalk book Chalk Art Manga, both illustrated by professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
