Passports of Blue-eyed Dolls

Each of the 12,739 Blue-eyed Dolls sent to Japan in 1927 had her own passport. Many of the original passports have disappeared or were destroyed over the years, but a few have survived.

Some of the passports have become discolored and tattered, like the one shown on this page. However, these passports, along with the Blue-eyed Dolls, are still treasured by the Japanese schools who have them. 

Passport Cover

A leaflet, published by the Committee on World Friendship Among Children, gave the following guidelines regarding the doll passports:

In addition to the ticket, each doll should have a passport. This, the children can be told, is a letter of introduction from the government of the United States to that of Japan, giving assurances that the traveler is a well-behaved citizen of the United States and will observe with care the laws of Japan during the proposed visit. The passport, to be effective, needs the visa of the Japanese Consul General. This visa signifies that the Japanese government has examined the passport of the prospective traveler and not only permits entry into the country, but agrees to take good care of the traveler during the period of the visit.

Inside of Passport

The passport shown on this page belongs to Emily Katherine, beloved Blue-eyed Doll at Sakihama Elementary School in Kochi Prefecture. The following links show other Blue-eyed Doll passports:

• Stella - Hirobuchi Kindergarten, Miyagi Prefecture

• Evangeline - Shintoku Kindergarten, Yamanashi Prefecture

• Martha Heath - Osawa Elementary School, Saitama Prefecture

• Carolyn Becker - Mikuma Kindergarten, Oita Prefecture

• Helen - Chichibu Kindergarten, Saitama Prefecture

• Fannie Pio - Sapporo Clock Tower, Hokkaido Prefecture

• Rosalie - Minami Hirata Elementary School, Yamagata Prefecture

• Koneta - Saigo Elementary School, Toyohashi City, Aichi Prefecture

• Ethel Dean - Hosoya Elementary School, Toyohashi City, Aichi Prefecture

• Erika - Takasago Kindergarten, Hyogo Prefecture

• Helen - Takasago Kindergarten, Hyogo Prefecture

• Jane Highland - Hirano Elementary School, Shiga Prefecture

• Cynthia Wayne - Aoki Junior High School, Nagano Prefecture

The New Blue-eyed Dolls, which have been given to Japanese schools in recent years by Sidney Gulick, 3d, and his wife, also have passports. Some of them are shown at the following links:

• Helen - Yamagata City Daiju Elementary School, Yamagata Prefecture

• Jean - Yamagata City Zao Daiichi Elementary School, Yamagata Prefecture

• Audrey - Minami Hirata Elementary School, Yamagata Prefecture

Some of the other new dolls given to Japanese schools have also come with passports:

• Hailey and Mia - Takasago Kindergarten, Hyogo Prefecture