We’re not sure if this is creepy, charming or a bit of both.
If you ever find yourself in the mountainous region of Shikoku, Japan, you might consider a visit to the tiny village of Nagoro for a rather unusual experience. (Then again, you might not!).
Like many rural communities, Nagoro is suffering from the global rural diaspora that has seen its population decline significantly over the years with little hope of it ever increasing again.
So as the older folks passed on and younger people left, villager Ayano Tsukimi decided to replace them with dolls.
Spread across this virtual ghost-town and ‘performing’ the functions they once held – teachers, shopkeepers, fishermen, cleaners, students etc – the 350 dolls now exist as a strange yet endearing homage to the glory days.
This six-minute documentary reveals what Ayano was thinking as she set about her decade-long quest which has now become a global curiosity.
