Exhibition of Ukrainian Motanka Dolls Held at the Ancient Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine in Japan
In Japan, the 800-year-old Tsurugaoka Hachimangu temple, which is a spiritual shrine and the heart of the Japanese city of Kamakura, hosted an exhibition of Ukrainian national motanka dolls under the project ‘Aitsugi - 100 Motanka for Peace’ from 24 to 28 October.
The Embassy of Ukraine in Japan announced this on Facebook.
This beautiful shrine is dedicated to Hachiman, the guardian deity of the samurai, and is one of the largest Shinto temples in the country.
This is the tenth event in a series of similar exhibitions that the project initiator, Anna Inoue, has held over the past year in different regions of Japan, the statement said.
In addition to their cultural significance, the exhibitions were aimed at informing the Japanese public about the realities of Russian aggression against Ukraine and raising funds for psychological assistance to children affected by the war. In particular, the exhibitions draw the attention of ordinary Japanese citizens to the tragedy of the abduction of Ukrainian children by Russian criminals.
The exhibition featured over 100 exhibits. Each doll was sent to Ms Anna by craftsmen from Ukraine and other countries specifically for presentation in Japan.
Anna created one motanka together with a Japanese craftswoman, Hatsuko Hama.
Motanka is a knotted doll made of fabric. The name comes from the Ukrainian word for ‘to wind’. The first motanka dolls were created several thousand years ago. The motanka doll is an object of Ukrainian culture that symbolises well-being, goodness and hope for the best, and is a strong sacred object for the Ukrainian people. The symbolism of the motanka doll is present regardless of whether it was created in a hurry for a child's amusement or as a talisman for the holidays.
