Aizome Donguri Korokoro

Shipping from mid-October, on a rolling basis

Putting "Bushu Shoaizome," a tradition from the Edo period, into children's hands

A deep, beautiful indigo.

"Donguri Korokoro Aizome" is Comomg's wooden toy Donguri Korokoro, dyed one by one using the "Bushu Shoaizome" technique passed down by Ishiori Shoten, a workshop founded in 1910.

Bushu Shoaizome has been handed down in northern Saitama since the Edo period. Through this traditional craft, Donguri Korokoro has been dyed a beautiful indigo while still preserving the natural expression of the wood. The way the grain and the shade of indigo differ from piece to piece is part of the charm unique to a toy born from natural materials and a craftsperson's hands.

We wanted to deliver this long-inherited Japanese color and technique not just as something to display, but as something children can actually pick up and touch.

Encountering Japanese craftsmanship through play

Helping children understand the history and technique of Bushu Shoaizome as knowledge is not the purpose of this toy.

What matters first is that children enjoy the way Donguri Korokoro sways side to side as it rolls down a slope — touching it, rolling it, getting absorbed in play. And through that play, we hope they naturally come to sense the deep color of the indigo, the feel of the wood, and its scent.

"Why is it blue?" "How did it get this color?"

The small questions that arise through play may one day become a child's first step toward an interest in Japan's nature and craftsmanship. Precisely because they are young, we want children to encounter real materials and real techniques through the experience of play, rather than through explanation.

Wood grown in Saitama, shaped into a toy by Kawaguchi craftsmanship

We also chose Saitama materials for the wood beneath the indigo. The hinoki cypress used is "Nishikawa timber," grown in the Hanno region of Saitama — one of Saitama's most representative woods, with a history of supplying timber to the city of Edo since the Edo period.

That hinoki is shaped into Donguri Korokoro by Comomg, a company rooted in Kawaguchi's wooden pattern-making craft. Comomg's predecessor was a small wooden pattern-making workshop founded in Kawaguchi in 1946, and the skill and craftsmanship spirit that once supported the local casting industry through pattern-making now lives on in our wooden toy making today.

Nishikawa timber from the Hanno region, woodworking from Kawaguchi, and Bushu Shoaizome from the northern part of the prefecture — from where the wood grew, to its shaping, to its dyeing, Saitama's nature and craftsmanship have come together in one small toy.

Passing it on to children means leaving it for the future

We believe that what children touch, play with, and feel in childhood stays with them somewhere in memory, even after they grow up.

For now, we simply hope they'll lose themselves in play with this blue acorn. And someday, as they grow, we hope they'll come to know that the toy they played with as a child was made from wood grown in their own region, using techniques passed down across generations. We hope that realization becomes a spark of interest in Japan's nature, history, and craftsmanship — and a feeling that these things are worth cherishing.

Passing this on to children is how we carry a rich natural and craft culture into the future.

"For children's better smiles." Through wooden toys — in a way only wooden toys can — Comomg continues to connect children with Japan's nature, culture, and craftsmanship.

How to Play

Tilt the base that Donguri Korokoro Aizome sits on just slightly to make a slope, and it will sway from side to side as it charmingly makes its way down. Thanks to its beautiful indigo dye, this piece is also stylish simply on display. It also makes a wonderful gift.

– Product Specifications –

■ Material
　Hinoki cypress (grown in Saitama), beads, glass marbles, rubber
■ Paint
　Cap and lower body: Bushu Shoaizome indigo dye / Face: Osmo Color Normal Clear
■ Recommended age
　3 years and up
■ Size
　45×45×60 (mm)
■ Weight
　70 (g)
■ Design
　Kazuto Komatsu
■ Design year
　2026

– FAQ –

Q. What age is it suitable for?
A. The recommended age is 3 years and up. Even for children younger than 3, they can enjoy watching its cute roll down the slope if an adult moves it for them.

Q. Does the coloring vary between pieces?
A. Because this product is dyed using the Bushu Shoaizome technique, the way the color takes varies depending on the part of the wood and its condition. Please be aware that some color unevenness and variation in dye absorption may occur. The way the wood grain and indigo shade differ from piece to piece is part of the charm unique to a toy born from natural materials and a craftsperson's hands.

Q. Are the paint and glue safe?
A. The cap and lower body are dyed using the Bushu Shoaizome technique, a craft passed down since the Edo period. The paint used on the face (Osmo Color Normal Clear) is safe even if licked, and once dry, the coating meets the German industrial standard DIN53160 (saliva/sweat resistance test), the EU toy safety standard EN71-3, and Japan's Food Sanitation Act (toy standard). The glue used, Titebond III, is also highly safety-tested (FDA-approved in the US, ASTM D4236 compliant).

– About the Original –

Donguri Korokoro Aizome is an indigo-dyed version of Comomg's original character and original toy, Donguri Korokoro. We're grateful for how well-loved it has become, but this popularity has also led to imitations. For a product you can trust and enjoy for years to come, please purchase the genuine item only from the official Comomg website or authorized retailers.

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