The Japanese Studies Program of the University of Hawaii at Hilo and Japanese Student Association invite the community to a special lecture by Japanese doll specialist Masaru Aoki and a display of two 90-year-old friendship dolls Friday and Saturday at
The Japanese Studies Program of the University of Hawaii at Hilo and Japanese Student Association invite the community to a special lecture by Japanese doll specialist Masaru Aoki and a display of two 90-year-old friendship dolls Friday and Saturday at UCB 100 on campus.
The free lecture is from 5-7 p.m. Friday and again at 2 p.m. Saturday. Admission is free.
The dolls Aoki will display are “Anny” and “Sara,” gifts to Japan from the U.S.
In 1924, before World War II, East Asians were prohibited from immigrating to the U.S. In order to promote friendship between Japan and the U.S., a former American missionary, Sidney L. Gulick, proposed having American children send more than 11,000 dolls to Japanese children in schools. Those dolls fostered friendship and peace among children.
In return, viscount Eiichi Shibusawa helped Japanese children create Japanese dolls from each prefecture for a state in the U.S. shortly after the American blue-eyed dolls were received in Japan in 1927.
For more information, email professor Masafumi Honda at masafumi@hawaii.edu.
