Little Kokeshi Themed Birthday Party

This little girl was lucky enough to be born in Japan 6 short years ago and is absolutely fascinated with anything Japanese. So it only seemed fitting that this Mom would plan a Little Kokeshi Themed Birthday Party!  And… when your mom happens to be a party planner, you know things are going to be A.O.K.!

Mom, the owner of A Party Studio, got to work pretty quickly. When the family lived in Japan, this birthday girl got lots of little kokeshi dolls and absolutely loves the little wooden dolls that have become a representation of the traditional folk arts of Japan.  

And when you choose such a wonderfully unique theme, you know you want the party to be VERY colorful! Therefore, mom used plenty of color in the printables and also included traditional Japanese prints. The girls at the party loved learning about the Japanese country and culture and Mom tried to incorporate a bit of a learning experience into all aspects of the party, as well. What a great idea!

For the dessert table, fresh raspberries and angel food cake were displayed to look like the Japanese flag. Creative! There were also strawberry and chocolate Poky sticks, which happened to be everyone’s favorite treat when the family lived in Japan. Of course, the cupcakes had personalized labels!

How cute are these personalized labels for the chocolate bars that were created for the party?!  

The table was decorated with little kokeshi dolls, origami cranes from Trinkets by Dana, and flowers! When the family lived in Japan, their apartment had a beautiful tatami room, so Mom used beach mats in stead of a tablecloth in order to better achieve the tatami look!

For food, traditional Japanese udon noodle salad and Japanese-style meatballs were served. There was also spicy wasabi peas for the adults to nibble on, too. What a unique flair! Extra wide pinwheel sandwiches were made to look like sushi rolls and there were also open-faced boursin and cucumber sandwiches available, as well. Are you ready for this … Mom also cut cucumbers into little sakura shapes (cherry blossoms) using a fondant cutter! Go Mom! How absolutely awesome!

Water bottles and milk jars had wonderful printables on them all based on the Japanese theme. They were mixed and matched and were great additions to the party! Mom also talked to the girls about Japanese food and they loved making candy sushi and using special children’s chopsticks that Mom got from Japan. These chopsticks have a finger ring on them in order to help young ones master the sticks easier.

Afterward, the girls got to color Kokeshi dolls and have their own individual photograph taken in front of a rice screen by All Things Great and Small. They absolutely loved the parasols and fan photo props!

For favor bags, mom used plain white bags and decorated them with thick grosgrain ribbon and hang tags. Inside, the girls found chopsticks, origami stars and cranes, their coloring pages, a fan, and an assortment of Japanese candies. Jackpot!

What an incredibly special birthday for this little girl and what a great way to teach others about a culture that they’ve experienced and is still so important to them!  It couldn’t have been handled any more beautifully! Bravo!

Credits & Resources

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• Pink Paper Hand Fan
• Set of 3 White Serving Platters
• 24 Small White Paper Favor Bags
• Drink Umbrellas
• Set of 3 Apothecary Jars
• Set of 5 Yellow Tissue Pom Poms
• DIY Paper Pinwheels
• Red Parasol
• Pink Parasol
• Vintage Glass Milk Bottles – 12 Count
• Hot Pink Paper Lanterns
• White Paper Lanterns
• Aqua Cake Stand
• Pink Cake Stand