A resident of the Japanese mountain village of Nagoro, 74-year-old Tsukimi Ayano, was able to single-handedly revive the village and make it a center of attraction for tourists. The Sun agency spoke about an unusual woman and her unique hobby.
The village of Nagoro was on the verge of abandonment for many years. Almost all residents left in search of a better life. No more than 300 people remained at their previous place of residence; over time, their number decreased to 30. These are mostly pensioners. By the way, over the past 20 years, not a single child has been born in Nagoro. The village gradually emptied and died.
To somehow brighten up the loneliness and liven up the situation, resident Tsukimi Ayano decided to transform the village herself and set about making fellow villagers. She made life-size dolls in the image and likeness of the people who once lived here and placed them on the streets, in shops, and even filled empty school classrooms with children’s dolls.
“Making dolls is my hobby. It came about when there was a need to make stuffed animals to scare away birds in the fields. I didn’t think that one day my hobby would be so useful,” says Tsukimi Ayano.
Now there are 350 dolls in the village, which is ten times the number of living people. This feature has attracted a huge number of tourists to Nagoro.
“Before no one came to us, now there are a lot of people from all over the country and from abroad. Now this place has become very lively,” residents say.
By the way, tourists come here to see the rag “village residents” and to tickle their nerves. Many of them admit that they felt strange and restless in Nagoro.
“It’s difficult to describe the feelings in words, it’s a terrifying and peaceful picture at the same time. You feel uneasy when you see all these dolls in places where people should be. It’s especially creepy at school,” the tourists shared.