owns four of his dolls. What an amazing man he is. He explained that the dolls he creates have a spirit all their own. As with the hina, we again encountered the concept that dolls have a spirit. Shimada-San welcomed us so graciously. He talked of his love of the dolls he creates, how they are made, and the story each doll conveys. He showed the paulownia wood he uses, the gofun, the molds and demonstrated the carving process. He expressed the need to take care of the earth and its resources. He explained that because of polluted water there will be no more gofun for the dollmaker. What will happen to the traditional doll makers? Shamida-san's gosho are indeed works of art and reflect the love and passion with which they are created. Expensive, but so very special, I could not resist. The spirit of one particular Gosho spoke to me...and when I learned Ichimatsu girl is by Shokensai I, maker of eight of the "Friendship Dolls." This circa 1930 girl is contained in her original box indicating that she was sold by the exclusive Maruhei store. Ichimatsu boy by Togyoku wearing kimono with checkerboard pattern was inspired by kabuki actor, Sanogawa Ichimatsu I. DOLL NEWS * UFDC.ORG 125http://ufdc.org