Shokensai III, ichimatsu, and I shared a photo opportunity. Close-up is of the ichimatu made by Shokensai III that is now living in California. Third generation ichimatsu maker, Shokensai III (Iwamura Kenji), is shown here with an ichimatsu boy he created. The display began with a Hadaka-Saga or "naked" Saga representing the earliest stages in the development of the Gosho. Hadaka-Saga first appeared in the early 1700s. They are distinctive for their narrow eyes and black painted hair, and are generally wearing just a simple Haragake bib. This type of doll was rather short lived and consequently extremely rare today. Further on we viewed the Haihai Gosho-ningyo or crawling baby. These became popular and important gifts during the Edo period. Court documents from the late Edo period indicate that haihai were given as gifts to young children on New Year's at their first festival. One theory indicates that this is the original gosho. Of course some large, charming examples of 124 SUMMER 2017 the Gosho-ningyo were prominently displayed. The emergence of the Gosho as a distinct form is generally dated to the Kyoho era (1716-1736) There was also an excellent example of the Mizuhiki-de gosho, a Gosho with a presentation ribbon. Beginning in the late 18th century Gosho that were created and presented as formal gifts are often found with presentation ribbons painted on their forehead. This charming museum reconfirmed the appreciation and admiration that the Japanese have for dolls. And finally we visited with Shimada-San, one of the most noted Gosho makers today. His family began making Gosho in 1859. The Imperial family