Better By Nightfall

I attended an interesting lecture on Wednesday about the "Ms. Nara" friendship/ambassador doll from Japan given by Michiko Takaoka-san. In a study of both culture and international relations between both the United States and Japan, it was most interesting to see that while both our countries differ greatly there are some treads that hold us together. One of which, as Takaoka-san pointed out, is the history that, although chaotic and distant at times, binds our country's together in way few other countries are bound.

Although the main purpose of the lecture was that of the honorable Ms. Nara herself, Takaoka-san focused on many other interesting themes and ideas throughout her speech referencing to Japanese Subjugation during the early 1900s and World War II, and the affect of WWII on U.S. and Japanese relations. To start, Takaoka-san talked about how the Japanese grow up seeing the world from a different perspective, literally. Takaoka-san noted to the audience to "look at the map" that was posted on the wall and notice where Japan was placed in reference to the maps we, as Americans, usually see. Japan was placed in the center of the map with America to the east and Europe to the west. A traditional, normal map to any Japanese person. But to Americans, Takaoka-san noted, we're used to seeing the map with Europe/America as the center, and everything else is around us. In this, she noted, that both of our countries see ourselves as the center of the world. Where, to the Japanese, America is to the east (although it's a "Western Country") as the currents flow and wind blows. As such, she noted that the Japanese have always seen America as a second home, just as the currents from Japan find America. However, our histories have been in conflict in the past, both on the part of America and Japan. This is where Ms. Nara and the other friendship dolls originate and where their stories are voiced without words.

Ms. Nara, a hand crafted doll roughly a meter tall, was one of the original 58 dolls sent to America during the 1920's as a show of friendship for what Dr. Sidney Gulick started. During the 1920's there was much subjugation of the Japanese for coming to America and "reaping the land" only to save up money and return to Japan. Many America's built resentment for the Japanese coming to America and taking away business prospects from them where the Japanese proved to be more resourceful than Americans. As such, resentment formed and lead to a bill that sought to ban Japanese from coming to America and causing problems. Dr. Gulick, appalled by this assertion of resentment, tried to stop it but, as Takaoka-san noted, his personal power alone was not enough. The bill was passed. However, Dr. Gulick believed there was a way to make both the American's and Japanese see that there need not be resentment since we both relied on one another.

"If world friendliness is to be achieved, the children of the nations must know each other better..."
-Dr. Sidney Gulick

So, it was his idea to send some show of friendship between the two countries. Understanding that the heart of the elder Japanese was already decided for the atrocities that occurred in America over the years, Gulick sought to send something to the children of Japan whose hearts were innocent and, hopefully, not tainted by hate. This lead to the creation of American Dolls that were roughly the same size and build of a baby doll today. Most of these dolls were blonde-haired and blue-eyed, since they were both attributes that Japanese rarely saw in their lifetime. After obtaining lots of funding from people who sympathized with his cause, 15,987 dolls were made and shipped to Japan, Taiwan (part of Japan at the time), and Russia(a small part was part of Japan) where they entered various schools, and museums. The Japanese children were very impressed with these dolls they called "blue-eyed" that they and their parents wished they could send something to America to let them see part of Japan. Eventually their wishes came true. Within two years of receiving the dolls, Japan requested that Japanese dolls be made to send to America. Although 100 total Japanese dolls were made, only 58 were accepted as "good enough" to go to America. Moreover, each doll was the same height and posture/build of a normal five-year-old Japanese girl during that time. Each "state" and various big cities in Japan each got a doll to name and thus, sent them to America to show their appreciation and joy over the gift.

Each of these dolls toured around the United States, sometimes in packs, sometimes alone. As such, they were worn down a bit by the constant moving and, subsequently, some of the dolls' identities got mixed with others because there were no identification marks as to which doll belonged to which city/region. Regardless, the dolls still circulated around America and Japan and continued to do so until World War II when America found out Japan was involved in the war. This, obviously, lead to a great divide in American-Japanese relations with both sides resenting the other, especially after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. As a result, besides the history we already know, the American Dolls that were sent over in the 1920's were ordered to be destroyed...and most of them were unless, somehow, someone protected them or hid them. In America, the Japanese Dolls were hidden from public viewing. Many people that had them personally either put them in storage or still had them presented, but with their backs turned so as to hide their faces in shame...