In a short documentary video In Valley of Dolls by Fritz Schumann she said:
I thought we needed scarecrows so I made one doll looking like my father.
Tsukimi has made approximately 350 dolls - over 300 more than the population of her village (which is 37 and dwindling).
The dolls are reminiscent of those found in Shinto shrines, which are scattered densely all around Japan as a way to honour both the dead and kami, or `gods.`
The facial expressions are the hardest part… the lips are difficult.
She places the dolls - which last around three years - all over the village in day-to-day positions.
