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Miss Aomori is by the artist Iwamura Shōkensai. Her personal name is Aomori Mutsuko and her kimono crest is the gokuwa ni karabana (five gourd and Chinese bellflower).
Although records indicate that Miss Aomori was initially sent to the Science Museum in Rochester, New York along with her base and accessories, she, quite inexplicably appears never to have been actually formally placed in a museum, and her records early fall silent.
In 1963 she was discovered in an antique shop in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. She was missing the proper right outer sleeve of her kimono, as well as her left foot, in addition to staining and general wear. She was lovingly taken in by Les and Elaine Christiansen who fashioned a new foot for her out of walnut.
In 1999, through the research of Michiko Takaoka, this doll was identified as the original Miss Aomori.
In 2011 she was once again sold and sent back to Japan for conservation through the son of the original artist, Iwamura Kenji (Shōkensai III). At that time a new sleeve was also woven using her left sleeve as a template. The walnut foot was left untouched, though now concealed by tabi socks.
She now belongs in private hands.