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Miss Kantoshū represents the former colony of the Liaodong Peninsula, though frequently, and mistakenly, referred to as Manchuria. She is by Iwamura Shōkensai. Her personal name is Kantoshû Masako and her kimono crest is the kyumai sasa (nine leave bamboo).
Miss Kantoshū is unusual in that she was originally shared by two museums, the Fairbanks Museum of Natural History in St Johnsbury, Vermont and the Currier Gallery in Manchester, New Hampshire.
This special arrangement, with the doll spending six months at one location, before spending the next six months at the other, resulted in an unusually large record of her history from 1928 until the war years when it was decided that she no longer travel or be exhibited.
She remained largely in storage in Manchester, until the Currier Gallery decided to auction her off in 1983. Unfortunately, this was done in separate lots, with the doll, her parasol, her slippers and her travel trunk in one lot, the remainder of her furnishings in a separate lot.
Miss Kantoshū was purchased by Phyllis Kranzberg who kept her in her private collection until she was purchased by Rosalie Whyle and placed in her doll museum in Belleview, Washington. She remained there until the museum sadly closed in 2012. At this point she became part of Rosalie Whyle’s personal collection, until Rosalie passed away in 2023.
In January of 2024, Miss Kantoshū was again put up for sale, this time through auction at Theriault’s.
Miss Kantoshū is now in private hands.
Through archival photos Miss Kantoshû has been identified as the original Miss Yamagata.