Japan’s “Scarecrow Village”, the number of dolls exceeds that of residents

For many years, the decline in birth rates and aging population in Japan have been topics of discussion and concern. this World Economic Forum It is estimated that by 2050, about 40% of the country’s population will be 65 years or older.

Rural communities face a difficult cycle of residents moving to big cities to seek job opportunities, thereby reducing infrastructure budgets and government support, which can only be maintained by a consistent population. The store went bankrupt due to no customers, and the school closed after the previous student’s graduation and training routes were terminated. Living in these disappearing villages is naturally becoming increasingly difficult.

Nagoro, located in secluded Iya Valley, Toushima Prefecture, Shikoku Islandis one of Japan’s insignificant communities with a population of more than 20. For 20 years, no child was born there. The nearest supermarket or hospital is 90 minutes away from the car along a long and narrow road. However, despite the few inhabitants of Nagoro, it is known for its large number of realistic scarecrows, known in Japanese as Kakashi, Can be found around the village.

The number of dolls exceeds that of residents

In fact, there are over 350 life-sized dolls scattered throughout the remote community, recreating the daily habits once performed by real residents of Nagoro. You will see characters leaning towards their garden, smoking a break, waiting at the bus stop to sit in a long abandoned classroom.

At first glance, these dolls may stimulate some uneasy feelings and border on the edge of the weird valley. But they also have a certain distinguishable nature of charm and comfort, which will surely arouse curious thoughts.

Photo by Nadia Shira Cohen in The New York Times

From scarecrow to neighbor

The vast majority of the dolls are handmade by Ayano Tsukimi, born in Nagoro, and watched as she grew up with a small village of about 300 people gradually shrinking. Eventually, like most other residents, Tsukimi’s family moved to Osaka, where she married and started her own family. After retirement, Tsukimi’s parents returned to Nagoro. Later, she followed her sick father, who became the oldest resident of the village.

Her doll making hobby was initially necessary. She noticed that birds were digging freshly planted seeds in the fields, so she created her first scarecrow in the form of her father. Many neighbors will confuse the scarecrow with her actual father, resulting in some interesting interactions.

“They sometimes say, ‘Good morning, you’re working very early.’ It’s just starting to have a conversation between the scarecrow and the neighbor.” Tsukimi in a interview NPR 2016.

Doll Reply Community

Since then, Tsukimi has created countless numbers, splitting them into to complement the village and recreate the community from her memories. As she meticulously sews everyone, she adds creative designs to their faces and clothes to give them personality. She came up with names and backstory to add personality.

Some dolls are also based on real people she has in Nagoro’s life. The former primary school closed in 2012 and has two dolls wearing the same clothes as the last student who attended class. For Tsukimi and other Nagoro residents, dolls are a fun way to bring life back to the village and avoid loneliness.

She explained: “I wish there were more kids because it would be more cheerful. The New York Times 2019.

As the number of dolls grew, Tsukimi’s scarecrows became increasingly notorious nationwide and internationally. They also attracted more visitors to this slowly forgotten community. Tsukimi will also be an annual DamnOr school sports festivals, dolls and humans participate in various activities. Festival combines food stand service Yakisoba and Octopus Palacejust like any other school festival in the country.

While the village’s population is still small and will disappear completely one day, visitors can appreciate Tsukimi’s craft skills.

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