Society

Kyoto's sleeping beauty: Gigantic inflatable Japanese doll forced to lie down

Mar 18 (Kyodo) - Interest in a gigantic inflatable "kokeshi" Japanese doll in Kyoto ballooned recently on social media when local authorities requested exhibition organizers to display it lying on its side.

The organizers had originally planned to set up the doll at the ROHM Theatre Kyoto in its usual vertical position but had to lay it down because the venue is within a designated zone of the city that requires special "consideration" be given to avoid anything interfering with the surrounding scenery.

The 12-meter tall kokeshi was created by the modern art duo Yotta, comprising Kimitaka Kisaki, a graduate of the Kyoto Institute of Technology, and Hiromichi Yamawaki, a graduate of the Kyoto University of Art and Design.

Named Hanako, the female doll was designed based on the shape and traditional decorative patterns of kokeshi from the Tohoku region in northeastern Japan, and even speaks once in a while, telling onlookers that it is hungry.

Do Bears Prefer Acorns or Berries?

Bear sightings across Japan have already climbed to nearly twice the level recorded during the same period last year, prompting entry bans in mountain areas behind Kyoto’s Ninna-ji Temple and the cancellation of hiking events in Kansai, while new research suggests that the key to reducing encounters may lie in understanding what bears eat in each region.

Copper Thieves Target Japanese Shrines

Copper roofing panels were stolen from several shrines in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, including a city-designated cultural property, in the latest case amid a nationwide surge in copper thefts targeting shrines and temples across Japan, where soaring metal prices have fueled crimes that leave historic religious buildings damaged, exposed to the elements, and facing repair costs of millions of yen.

1200-Year-Old Temple on Miyajima Reduced to Ashes

Flames broke out on the morning of May 20th on Miyajima Island in Hiroshima Prefecture, home to one of Japan's World Heritage sites, destroying Reikado Hall near the summit of Mount Misen.

From Bento Boxes to Garbage Bags, Rising Costs Hitting Daily Life Across Japan

Uncertainty surrounding the situation in the Middle East is beginning to affect daily life in Japan, as concerns over crude oil supplies spread to restaurants, cleaning services and even household garbage disposal systems across the Kansai region.

Tochigi Robbery-Murder Suspect’s Wife Posted Dance Videos on Social Media

A 25-year-old woman arrested as a suspected ringleader in a robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture once posted cheerful dance videos on social media and was remembered by those who knew her as an energetic and outgoing young woman.

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