After feeling physically helpless in removing rubble from the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, a woman in Tokyo's Nerima Ward focused on something smaller to ease the suffering of disaster victims.
After feeling physically helpless in removing rubble from the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, a woman in Tokyo's Nerima Ward focused on something smaller to ease the suffering of disaster victims.
Yuki Goto, 44, is planning a traveling exhibition of her clay dolls in Miyagi Prefecture from Jan. 9.
Having survived the Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995, Goto understands what victims of the March 11 quake and tsunami must have gone through. She said she hopes her dolls of smiling children will cheer up the victims in Miyagi.
Before becoming a creator of clay dolls at 35, Goto worked for an interior decoration company.
One of her specialties is making dolls of children and babies for use in books about child rearing or as mannequins in children's clothing sections.
She has also created works on such themes as playing in the snow and has held exhibitions mainly in the Tokyo area.
After creating a frame using styrofoam and wire, Goto hardens clay to create the dolls. Some are as tall as 40 centimeters. The smiles on the round faces of the dolls leave a strong impression on viewers.
Goto lived in Kobe when the Great Hanshin Earthquake struck. Despite the damage to her apartment, gas and electricity were restored on the day of the quake.
"Although I was in the quake area, I did not feel as though I was a disaster victim," she said.
However, she cannot forget the concerns she held before confirming that her family and friends were safe.
On March 11, those emotions from 16 years ago came back to Goto.
"Some tens of thousands of people are still suffering from the fear of not knowing what the future holds," she said.
When she took part in volunteer activities in May in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, Goto felt powerless.
"As a woman, I was absolutely of no help in such manual work as clearing away rubble," she said.
She came up with the idea of displaying her clay dolls to bring some peace of mind to the disaster victims.
At the same time, she was worried that she might be seen as forcing others to view her works. To clear away such doubts, Goto visited disaster victims in mid-December in Ishinomaki and Minami-Sanriku whom she met through her volunteer activities.
When she showed them photos of her clay dolls, one individual said, "The children will be so happy." Another said, "I want to see (the dolls) and encourage senior citizens who do not get out often to join me."
Those comments convinced Goto to hold the traveling exhibition.
She will depart Tokyo on Jan. 8 in a truck containing about 90 of her dolls. Over a 20-day period, she plans to visit six locations where temporary housing has been constructed.