Tsukimi Ayano arranges a scarecrow at a bus stop in the mountain village of Nagoro, Shikoku. Ayano made her first scarecrow 13 years ago to frighten off birds pecking at seeds in her garden. The life-sized straw doll resembled her father, so she made more. Today, the tiny village of Nagoro is teeming with Ayano's hand-sewn creations, frozen in time for a tableau that captures the motions of everyday life. Nagoro, like many villages in Japan's countryside, has been hit hard by inhabitants flocking to cities for work and leaving mostly pensioners behind. Its graying community is a microcosm of Japan, whose population has been falling for a decade.
© Japan TodayVillage of scarecrows
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5 Comments
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Chuichi Hashimura
Our local community has an aging society, too. Some day there will be a lot of scarecrows here.
Disillusioned
Population growth? Or, is it a game of, spot the scarecrow?
cevin7
They're more than scarecrows. They're scarehumans!
Sioux Chef
You can virtually tour the village from the main road that cuts through it on Google maps.
Yoshimi Onishi
This is a fantastic idea to liven up rural communities in this country or maybe in any other countries with similar problems. Good on you, Ayano-san!