Miss Tokyo-fu

Miss Tokyo-fu represents the prefecture surrounding the city of Tokyo. She is by the artist Takizawa Kōryūsai II. Her personal name is Azuma Kyōko, and her kimono crest is the agari fuji  (climbing wisteria).

While the honor of creating the Miss Japan and the six city dolls was given to Menshō XII in Kyoto, dolls representing the prefectures surrounding these principal cities were selected with great care. Miss Tokyo-fu was an exquisite open-mouthed doll by Kōryūsai. Miss Hyōgo representing the prefecture around Kobe was also by Kōryūsai. Miss Kanagawa representing the area around Yokohama was by Shōkensai. While Miss Kyoto-fu, Miss Osaka-fu and Miss Aichi, representing the prefecture around Nagoya, were by Hirata Gōyō II. 

Placement records indicate Miss Tokyo-fu was originally assigned to the Children’s Room in Richmond Public Library in Richmond, Virginia. But initially, Virginia’s doll was actually placed with the Richmond YWCA and it is not clear whether she was ever officially transferred to the library.

Virginia’s Friendship Doll is, unfortunately, one of our missing dolls and no photographic evidence remains of her display or life in Richmond. So, it is not clear which doll was actually sent to Richmond.

We know, however, from a beautiful archival image in the collection of the Philadelphia City Archives that the original Miss Tokyo-fu was actually sent to Philadelphia where she was known as Miss Saga.