Ozaki Dolls are pottery dolls handed down in Osaki Nishibun area in Kanzaki-machi, Saga Prefecture. This craft is one of the oldest pottery types in the prefecture. They are characterized by the warm feeling of the clay surface, their humorous look, and their colorfully painted surfaces. According to local tradition, during the Mongol Invasions of Japan (in 1281), Mongol prisoners crafted clay dolls and flutes to remember their homeland—the techniques were adopted by locals, giving rise to Ozaki Dolls and Hizen‑Osaki pottery.
The locally obtained clay is molded into dolls and then holes are made to create flutes. They are dried for two weeks, fired in the handmade kilns, painted white first, and finally colored with bright iwaenogu (Japanese dry pigments). The bright red stands for the Mongolians’ blood, blue for peace, and yellow for nature. There are about 20 kinds of Ozaki Dolls including pigeon whistles, baby-sitter dolls, or sparrows. Among them the pigeon whistle, which is called “Tetteppu,” is the most popular souvenir.