Tokyo, Japan

While in Saitama City I had an opportunity to check out the Togyoku Doll Museum before meeting the mayor, Hayato Shimizu, and the town council. Dolls have a long history in Japan, especially Hina dolls which are celebrated each year during Girl's Day or Hinamatsuri. The museum had a range of different dolls such as Imperial Court, Samurai, and Battledore dolls and the old belief is that the dolls can protect you and hold evil spirits so during the festival many of the ancient dolls are burned at temples (understanding how the Japanese see death helps understand this phenomenon).

Across the street from the museum I had a chance to see some of the dolls being created and it was an amazing artesian process. The doll makers are specialists and work Henry Ford style piece by piece (as opposed to the ancient tradition of one master doll maker creating the entire doll) and the precision and focus the doll master's had was intense.