The Kokeshi doll is a traditional toy from the Tohoku or Northern region of Japan, where many ski resorts such as Zao and Appi Kogen are located. Each Kokeshi doll is painted with a different design representing the source of origin, sometimes appearing to be dressed in a kimono, or traditional Japanese clothing. The Kokeshi dolls in this scarf are wearing the kimono style of a man and a woman.

Several cities historically known for their kimono silk production and the silk production such as Kiryu, Tomioka, and Ashikaga are located within a region of Japan known as Gunma. This region is just northwest of Tokyo and is home to many ski resorts such as Kaurizawa, Kustatsu Onsen, Minamikami and Kawaba .

The Daruma doll is also often associated the Gunma region. Each January, the temple home to the original Daruma doll, and several others in the region, host a festival known as Daruma-Ichi where new dolls can be purchased. Each doll represents a goal someone is working towards, like finally surfing that Japow with your tips up or even completing that epic winter holiday in Japan you’ve always dreamed of.

The scarf features wavy lines that are drawn in the typical style of a cloud often seen in Japanese art. When the cloud, known as Kumo in Japanese, is shown in regional art it often represents the idea of impermanence and an appreciation of beauty. To us, it’s kind of like that moment when you’re on the lift, taking in the awe of the beauty of the nature around you as you climb higher and higher. We hope those days will never end, but in the end, because they do, we savor that moment on the lift even more.