The Dolls of Japan: Shapes of Prayer, Embodiments of Love

This exhibition introduces Japan’s representative dolls, including Hina ningyo (Girls’ Festival dolls) and Gogatsu ningyo (Boys’ Day dolls), which have their origins in ancient customs; dolls connected to traditional performing arts like noh, bunraku and kabuki; regional dolls from throughout the country; and “creative dolls” produced by contemporary craftspeople.

catalog (PDF:391KB)

This traveling exhibition has ended.

  • March 1 - April 20, 2022
    the Hawaii Japanese Center (Honolulu, U.S.A.)
  • January 22 - 30, 2020
    Municipal Palace of Granada (Granada, Nicaragua)
  • January 10 - 18, 2020
    Japanese Park (Managua, Nicaragua)
  • January 6 - February 6, 2020
    Embassy of Japan in the Kingdom of Morocco (Rabat, Morocco)
  • October 13 - November 13, 2019
    Bahrain National Museum (Manama, Bahrain)
  • August 21 - September 11, 2019
    Multi-Purpose Hall, Embassy of Japan in Iran (Tehran, Iran)
  • August 8 - 29, 2019
    Centro Cultural Banreseervas (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic)
  • April 26 – May 29, 2019
    Riga School of Design and Art (Riga, Latvia)
  • April 12 – June 28, 2019
    Institute of Jamaica (Kingston, Jamaica)

Photo of Japanese doll 1
Fuji musume

Photo of Japanese doll 2
Oiran

Photo of Japanese doll 3
Kintaro

Photo of Japanese doll 4
Ishogi, Shinno-kazari

Photo of Japanese doll 5
Uijin, Toko-kazari

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