View allAll Photos Tagged MIKOS
miko is a Shinto[1] term in Japan, indicating a shrine (jinja) maiden[2] or a supplementary priestess[3] who was once likely seen as a shaman[4] but in modern Japanese culture is understood to be an institutionalized[5] role in daily shrine life, trained to perform tasks, ranging from sacred cleansing[6] to performing the Kagura,[7] a sacred dance
I joined the Tokyo strobist meetup group for the first time a couple of weeks back. Good group of guys and gals who all share photography as a passion and want to improve their lighting skills. The theme was Miko (shrine maiden) and cherry blossoms. The blossoms weren't that spectacular at the location we chose, so I just concentrated on our Miko model.
BOX DATE: 1985
MANUFACTURER: Mattel
DOLLS IN LINE: Barbie; Ken; Skipper; Miko
BODY TYPE: 1966; Twist 'N Turn waist; straight arms; bend & snap legs
HEAD MOLD: 1980 "Oriental"
***My doll on the left is wearing 2002 Pretty Vacation Styles! #47620.
My doll on the right is wearing 1980 Fashion Collectibles #1906.
PERSONAL FUN FACT: I'll always have a soft spot for Miko dolls. I recall that my first one was Island Fun, who I got in a lot at the flea market as a kid. I didn't know it at the time, as I assumed she was an old version of Kira. We didn't have internet access at home, nor did I own any Barbie collector books. So I based my crude identification off of what I knew...that the Asian doll was usually Barbie's friend Kira. Boy did she get cool points when I was an adult collector and I identified her as a Miko. That spurred an interest within me to collect Miko dolls specifically too, in addition to Kira. I remember finding this lady, on the left, at an indoor flea market in 2013. I knew that she was a Miko straight away, although I wasn't sure which line she originated from. This particular flea market was broken into two parts--the regular booths and then a co-op. The co-op was run like a little antique store. The sellers just left their stuff at designated booths, and you paid for everything together at a register. Sometimes they'd run sales, but other than that you couldn't barter for items unless the seller just so happened to be there that day. There was one booth which was our favorite...and usually the reason my sister and I would go to this flea market. One person had TONS of dolls...some boxed ones, some loose ones, and even baggies of random clothes and accessories. They were sometimes good deals, like this Miko. I think she was $2 or $3. Other dolls would be more than that, and not worth the increased price. Anyways, I know that she was dressed in something, but not her original outfit. I actually think of all my Miko dolls, this gal is the prettiest. She has gorgeous saran tresses and I love the way the green eye shadow makes her brown eyes pop.
Thirteen years later I discovered the girl on the right at the Salvation Army. It was in May 2026--Memorial Day weekend to be exact. My sister and I were out in the area because I needed to pick up a few things at Sally's Beauty Supply. On the way home, we popped into the thrift store. I wasn't expecting to find anything honestly, since this location is so tiny. Clearly someone had gone through all the toy bins and thrown out stuff. There weren't the same random doll parts and broken toys I had seen for the better part of two years. The only dolls I found were this Miko, an All American Barbie, a Fun-to-Dress gal with butchered hair, and a 1985 Cabbage Patch Kids. I knew I had this Miko upon seeing her. But I felt terrible for her, as she sported the dreaded "fat head." When I pulled her head off to inspect the damage, I found that she had a massive chunk missing from her neck. She was wearing a piece to a 90s fashion gift set. I knew if I didn't buy her she'd be off to the landfill. Nobody else would likely adopt her, and I have a major soft spot for Miko dolls. I had to repair her neck, give her a spa day, and find her an outfit to wear. I'd like to get her a new body at one point since this one is missing such a large chunk that my repair is highly visible. But she actually has gorgeous quality saran hair and a high color face!
Miko for the pinky picture associate thread on pinky-street.com.
It's been so long since I've played with my pinky:st with their megahouse furniture!
BKV's Tatra T5C5K Tram 4001 leads 4056 on a Line 56 combination recorded near Miko utca in Krisztina krt., Budapest.
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