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Poster on Miss Kinuko
Nagano
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When I visited the Shinano Education Museum on
November 17 to see the exhibit of the 23 Blue-eyed Dolls in Nagano
Prefecture, I was most impressed by the many items produced by the sixth
graders at Watauchi Elementary School in Nagano City. They have been actively
involved in numerous activities related to their school's doll Mary, the
Blue-eyed Dolls both in Nagano Prefecture and throughout Japan, the Japanese
Friendship Doll Miss Nagano, and other topics.
The sixth graders began their Friendship Doll
activities in April 2001, when each student was assigned to one of the
following six teams:
- Homecoming for Miss Nagano
- Research on Dr. Gulick and Japanese-American
Relations
- Repair of Watauchi's Blue-eyed Doll Mary
- Internet Team to Create Home Page
- Send Letters to Gather Information on
Blue-eyed Dolls in Nagano Prefecture
- Research by Interviewing People Over 75
Years Old
One team coordinated a signature campaign to
gather support for a homecoming visit of Miss Kinuko
Nagano, the Japanese
Friendship Doll sent to American in 1927 and now at the Historical Society of
Delaware. The poster at the Shinano Education Museum reads as follows:
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Let's Bring
Miss Kinuko Nagano to Japan
She is currently in the state of
Delaware in the US. It will cost 11 million yen (about $100,000) to
bring back Miss Kinuko Nagano. She was sent to America from Nagano 74
years ago. Miss Kinuko Nagano was sent as a thank-you gift for the
Blue-eyed Dolls sent from America as messengers of peace.
We are gathering signatures for the
homecoming to Japan of Miss Kinuko Nagano, who was sent to America.
The children in Nagano Prefecture at that time over 70 years ago each
gave one sen (penny) to cover the costs of making Miss Kinuko
Nagano. The Blue-eyed Dolls returned home to America once, but Miss
Kinuko Nagano has not been in Nagano Prefecture for 74 years. We
really want to have Miss Kinuko Nagano return home to Japan.
Since the elderly women in Nagano also
want the homecoming of Miss Kinuko Nagano to Japan as soon as possible
because they are growing older, we ask for your support of this
signature campaign. The number of signatures currently collected is
over 2,000.
We ask for your cooperation.
Sixth Graders of
Watauchi Elementary School
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As of November 12, signatures had already been obtained from 2,577
people, mainly in the area around Watauchi Elementary School but also
throughout Nagano Prefecture. I added my name to the list when I visited the Shinano Education
Museum on November 17. During my visit on November 19 to
Azumi Elementary School in Nagano Prefecture, I was surprised when one of the
sixth-grade students there told me that all of the sixth graders at the
school had signed the petition sheet that had been sent from Watauchi
Elementary School.
Two walls of the doll exhibit room at
Shinano Education Museum were covered by many large sheets of paper that summarized
the results of the students' research and activities. Several had maps of
Japan to show the distribution of Blue-eyed Dolls throughout the different
prefectures. The contents of each student display differed, but most had the
following structure:
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2,577 Signatures for
Miss Nagano's Homecoming
(as of November 12, 2001)
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One team of students interviewed people over 75
years old living in the area around the school. Not only did they ask questions
about the Blue-eyed Dolls, they also inquired about their opinions and feelings
toward America during World War II and now. Some people indicated America was
hated or dreaded during the war, but now they believe the two countries should
be good friends, and everyone in the world should cooperate together.
The team to repair the school's doll named Mary
was in charge of getting a new dress and wig, since the original ones had
become quite worn in the 74 years since the doll arrived at the school in 1927.
They solicited ideas from other students for Mary's new dress and wig. A
beautiful new dress was made for Mary. In early October the team of students
sent letters to two companies to inquire about making a new
wig. Both of these
companies quickly agreed to work together on making a new wig for Mary so it
would be ready for the opening of the exhibit at Shinano Education Museum on
November 15.
During 2001, Watauchi Elementary School's
sixth-grade students participated in other activities related to Friendship
Dolls. In May, the students heard stories from three elderly people who live
near the school. In June, Sharon Gulick made a special visit to the school, and
the children put together a newspaper about her visit, which was on display at
the Shinano Education Museum. Sharon is the great-granddaughter of Dr. Sidney Gulick, who coordinated the sending of almost
13,000 dolls in 1927 from America to Japan. In August, Watauchi received a new
Blue-eyed Doll named Paula from Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Gulick, 3d, the parents of
Sharon. The school held a special welcome ceremony for the new doll in the
following month.
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