The Friendship Doll

Saturday, March 5, 2016--We've been back in the United States for almost a year now.
It was hard to adjust to American life at first.  For the first few weeks, we caught ourselves bowing to the cashiers in check out lines.  We also caught ourselves speaking Japanese to people in stores.
It took me a while to get used to buying food here.  I would go to the grocery store and wander around in disgust looking for the real food.  The grocery stores contain aisle after aisle of processed "food" that comes in boxes and I just couldn't bring myself to buy that stuff for my family.  I would settle on frozen chicken breasts, eggs, rice, seaweed sheets, some fresh vegetables and fruit and then come home.  We had a very hard time adjusting back to the American way of eating.  Even a year later, we eat Japanese food about once a week, sometimes more.   It's healthier for you, tastes better, and doesn't leave us feeling heavy.
We miss Japan terribly.  The country, the culture, and the people became a part of our soul, somehow.  Each of us have a deep and abiding adoration for Japan that hasn't waned as we have immersed ourselves back into our lives here in the states.

A year ago, while we were in Japan, I read a book aloud to the kids.  It was titled The Friendship Doll by Kirby Larson.  The kids and I really enjoyed this book!  It was one of those books that made you feel a little devastated when you read the last page.
This fiction book is about a Japanese doll named Miss Kanagawa and her adventures in the U.S.  This book became significant to us because Miss Kanagawa is a real life Japanese doll sent to America, along with 57 of her fellow ambassadors of friendship, in 1927.  We became fascinated with the true story of these dolls.  

In 1926, children in the United States decided to send 13, 000 department store dolls to Japanese elementary school children as a gesture of friendship.  Each doll had a passport, a steam boat ticket, and a handwritten letter.  After numerous farewell parties, the dolls were sent off to their new home in Japan.

The blue-eyed dolls were received in Japan in early 1927 to help celebrate Hina Matsuri on March 3rd.  Elaborate welcome ceremonies took place throughout Japan. Some dolls were cased in glass in elementary schools, others were given to children to take home and cherish.  

The people of Japan decided to return gifts as an expression of their appreciation for the wonderful American dolls.  About 2.6 million Japanese children contributed one sen (about a half penny) each to have some Japanese Friendship Dolls made for American children. The best doll makers were commissioned to make 58 dolls, each one representing a prefecture of Japan.  The dolls were about 3 feet tall, had real human hair, and were dressed in elegant silk kimonos. Oyster shells were crushed and mixed in with the porcelain used to make their bodies.  

Each doll came with her own lacquer chest, tea set, parasol, fan, tatami sandals, two lanterns with silk shades, lacquer vanity set with a comb and mirror, purse, six panel painted screen, steamboat ticket, and even a passport.

The dolls were received with fanfare and toured every state.  They eventually found homes in museums.  Each state received a Japanese doll.  Miss Japan found her home in Washington, D.C. in the Smithsonian.

Sadly, just 14 short years after America received the Japanese Friendship Dolls, Japan and the U.S. were fighting each other in World War II.  During the war, many of the Friendship Dolls were stored away, sold, lost or destroyed. Only one doll remained on display during WWII: Miss Kagawa (in the picture above), at the North Carolina State Museum of Natural History.  She was turned to face the wall during the war. A sign next to the doll read:

WHOM THE GODS WOULD DESTROY THEY FIRST MAKE MAD The Japanese made an insane attack upon the American Territory of Hawaii on December 7, 1941. With a grim determination we now are committed to stop for all time Japanese aggression. This has no bloodthirsty implications to destroy peoples as such. We still believe in peace and goodwill to live and let live. Men, women and children of Japan have this goodwill but they have now been dominated by ruthless leaders. Proof of such latent goodwill are the Friendship Doll Exhibits exchanged between children of the United States and Japan during 1926 and 1927 and shown as here in museums in both countries.

In the 1980's, efforts were made to locate all of the Japanese dolls.  To date, 45 of the 58 dolls have been found and restored.  

After we finished reading the book The Friendship Doll, we asked the Awesome Ladies at Work if they knew where we could see any of the American department store dolls.  The ladies knew of the dolls, and some of them remembered seeing a doll in their childhood schools.  However, they had no idea where we might be able to see one.  We continued to watch for them during the remainder of our time in Japan.  We never did come across any of the 1926 American dolls.  

We also researched the Japanese dolls in America.  In 1927, the state of Wyoming was given Miss Yamanashi.  Usually, she is not on display, but in celebration of Wyoming's 125th birthday this year (2016), she can be seen at the Wyoming State Museum in Cheyenne.  We promised ourselves that when we returned to the states we would go and see one of these Japanese dolls.

Today was the day that we traveled to Cheyenne and paid a visit to Miss Yamanashi!  Hina Matsuri was 2 days ago, so it is fitting that we visit a Japanese doll today.

 The very first thing we did at the museum was find her.  We were pretty excited to finally get to see one of the dolls that we had spent a lot of time researching.

 Miss Yamanashi did not disappoint!  She is beautiful!

 According to the research we have done on her, she has 21 personal items, but none of it was on display with her except for her fan and purse.  Instead, she was shoved into a glass case with a rustler outlaw's cane, a 1920's letter from a princess detailing how much she loves Wyoming, and information on the Tea Pot Dome scandal.  Tisk, tisk.   At least she's out of storage and on display, though.

In Japan, the age of 88 is very important.  According to an old custom, people are celebrated on their 88th birthday with a simple sleeveless yellow coat and/or a yellow cap.  To celebrate the Japanese dolls' 88th birthday, special yellow "peace caps" were made for all of them.  Miss Yamanashi will wear her yellow cap until the end of the year.  In this picture, you can see her fan sticking out of the top of her obi.  You can also see her purse tucked in the belt holding her obi in place.

 I get a kick out of this picture!  After we looked at Miss Yamanashi, we moved on to the rest of the museum.  But, we kept coming back to inspect this special doll some more.  The kids found a dress up section and were decked out in Wild West costumes, but while they were playing cowboys they went back to say hi to the Japanese doll.  Love it!

 Miss Yamanashi is kneeling on a tatami mat.  Her obi was tied perfectly in a pretty bow in back.

 Before we left the museum, we spent some time sitting quietly with her.  There is a quote in The Friendship Doll that says:  "When the Japanese give a doll in friendship, it is bestowed with great meaning and honor...Even adults speak about dolls as though they were almost human.  A doll is not simply stored in a box.  She sleeps waiting for a child to wake her."  This may sound a little silly, but as we looked into Miss Yamanashi's eyes, we felt a quiet stirring inside of our hearts.  She seemed almost human.  She has an aura to her, a spirit.  She is very special.

As we got ready to leave, Audra waved and said, "Good-bye, konichiwa doll!"
How lucky we are to have been able to see Miss Yamanashi today!  Being able to visit her after reading The Friendship Doll and learning so much about the doll exchange between our two favorite countries was a fun experience!  We hope to be able to see more dolls in other states in years to come.