The White Rabbit of Inaba
The White Rabbit of Inaba
The Daimyo of Izumo, a great lord of his domain, set out to meet the beautiful princess of Yagamihime in the country of Inaba. Along the way he met a wounded white rabbit who had been hurt by a shark. Feeling sorry for the rabbit, the Daimyo washed its body with fresh water and instructed it to rest on a bed of soft cattail reeds. The white rabbit quickly healed. Later, the white rabbit led the Daimyo to Yogamihime’s castle where the two fell in love.
YANAGIYA REPRODUCT
“Yanagiya” was a workshop that produced local toys in Tottori City, Tottori Prefecture, from 1928 to 2014, for 86 years. The name of the shop comes from a proverb, “Yanagi ni yukikore nashi,” which means “the willow tree does not break under the weight of snow.”
The first generation, Tatsunosuke Tanaka, created original toys based on the history and legends of Inaba, while also working to restore extinct toys. With his wife, Toshiko, he conducted research and production. Their daughter and son-in-law inherited the spirit of the shop’s name, and over 50 types of toys, including paper-mâché masks, clay whistles, and wooden dolls, were produced.
In 2020, “Yanagiya REPRODUCT” was launched, where new craftsmen learn the same techniques from the second generation, Kinji and Miyako Tanaka, and continue to produce Yanagiya’s toys.