Transcription
Wow. It's just that look at the level of detail, the clothes, the settings, the work tools, the old people even have wrinkles and are everywhere. I don't know whether to feel tenderness or intense terror. I just hope one of these doesn't wake up and chase me at night. This is, without a doubt, one of the most curious little towns we have visited on the channel. [music] In the south of Japan, there is a curious mountain village where more [music] scarecrows than humans live. They are everywhere and in the most intriguing positions. [music] You see them fishing by the river, taking a nap, working in the fields, waiting for the [music] bus to pass, enjoying these wonderful views. This place is truly unique, very curious, and depending [music] on how we see it, both adorable and perhaps a little disturbing. This very curious little town is called Nagoró in the prefecture [music] of Tokushima. Ah, look, a person passed by. Wow, [laughter] not many pass by, huh? No, not many people pass by here. It's very [music] empty, and in fact, precisely that, the fact that it's very empty is the reason why [music] there are so many of these curious little dolls everywhere. Let's take a walk, let's go into the village and talk a little about the history of this place. Let's go. Right here is the entrance to the town. They leave a hat that you can put on to take a cool photo, right? It's full of bugs. Wait, they're going to sting my head, huh? There it is so you can be one more scarecrow, huh? Here posing with our buddies here welcoming visitors. What it says here is Coco Nagoro, da, here is Nagoro the name of the town. Kakashino Sato, the town of scarecrows. Over here a daycare with many children. Good afternoon. Ah, I love this. Look. Wow. I mean, the trust that people have here that you can take souvenirs in some places to take with you, like, for example, I want this spoon, right? So, here you leave the money and they trust you to be honest and only take one. What's more, you know what? Uh, I'm going to take one for my mom so it's evidenced. 500 yen here, clear accounts, long friendships. The scarecrow children are here as [music] witnesses, and yes, no, I don't want them as enemies, huh? I don't want them to appear at my house at night. No, better friends, huh? Better like that, buddies. [music] I'm fascinated by the detail that those who come to visit or perhaps the people of the town themselves take care of these little details, check it out. For example, this young lady here who seems to be getting water, perhaps to water the plants or I don't know. They put water with flowers here in her little shovel [music] to make it look more, well, more real, right? [laughter] I love it. What detail. How beautiful. Over here a field full of scarecrows. Good afternoon. Good afternoon. How are we, sir? Sir, it's a pleasure to meet you. What kindness. What kindness. As of the date we visited, there are about 400 dolls and less than 30 human inhabitants. And in fact, precisely because there are already less than 30 inhabitants, one inhabitant, in fact, of the town in particular, has taken it upon himself to repopulate this village, to give it life at least through an illusion, at least through dolls, because in effect it makes him sad that his town [music] is so empty. About 60 years ago, the village had its largest population, which was about 300 inhabitants. hands. Around the 80s, the exodus to the cities began. Many people migrated, and little by little, it became depopulated. In fact, the village school closed definitively in 2012 because there were only two students left. It was like, brother, it's better for the kids [music] to study elsewhere. And today, the population as you are informed here. In fact, there is a very nice part where you can [music] get a tourist pamphlet and they tell you the official history and data, well, the direct source from the inhabitants. [music] The population today is 27 people, all over [music] 70 years old. It's an aged little town, and it shows in the streets, really, very few people pass by. We've seen maybe two other groups [music] of curious tourists, but that's it. Don't be scared, little one. It's just Uncle Luisillo. No scarecrow is haunted here. Here there is a little book where visitors can leave a little message of thanks, whatever. We've already left ours. Look. Uh, many thanks from Luisillo and Aricita from Mexico and Venezuela. This is precisely the bus station. So, here we can see the scarecrows waiting for transportation that, I'm sorry to say, will very possibly not arrive, will not [music] pass. And the whole scarecrow thing starts around 2002, when one of the inhabitants, Mrs. Ayano Tsukimi, returned after having lived for a while in the big city of Osaka and realized that there were very few people left in the town where she grew up. This made her very sad. She was like, "Wow, the streets I remembered full of living people are no longer what they were." So she started working in the field that her parents had left her. to scare away some birds that were attacking her crops, she made a scarecrow in the figure of her father, and she noticed that many people seemed to greet it from afar, many commented, "Wow, it looks real, like you posed it" and from there she started making more and more, all completely by hand, she knits them, she makes them, and in this way she decided to repopulate the streets of her home. Many of the scarecrows represent people who used to live here. They have names, they have surnames, they have a story. They even wear the original clothes of the human they represent. Some of them have passed away, are no longer with us, others have moved, migrated, and others are merely random characters or visitors who have pleased Tsukimisan, the lady who makes them. For example, look, this one here is like a reporter who surely came to make a video. This guy here says he's a streamer who came to make a video once. Look, with his phone and everything. I'm really envious. I want my doll too. Mrs. Tsukimi, if you are watching this video, know that it would be an honor for me to be in this village and have my own handicraft. Yes, truly, she makes incredible works of art. Yes, it's very cool. This is a place, I tell you, very, very unique. Over here we have a few ladies working on the flowers. Other people are working in the field, and truly, if you pass by quickly in a car, you would believe they are real people, right? You would say, "Ah, it's an adorable, populated village, right? Productive." If you saw a photo without much detail, taken from afar, you would say, "Ah, well, yes, yes, of course, people live in that village, they work, it's populated, but wow, no." The reality is, I tell you, 27 people and 370 scarecrows. At least that's the information they give on the little pamphlet, I tell you. But that was a few months ago. Surely now there's more chance, they've reached 400, who knows. I love the detail that it's not just the doll, the scarecrow, it's the entire scenography. They put flowers on them, they put their work tools on them, they put them among the wood, they put a little table. Over here some children playing in the tree, and this sign caught my attention. Look, what it basically says here. Be careful, children come out here, right? I mean, these are signs that villages put up, but, oh dear, I'm afraid to inform you that there won't be many children here, right? There aren't many children. How about these travelers here, these tourists with their suitcases and everything? I loved the detail that she put a pamphlet here and even a little mustache, right? Like, he was a real-life tourist, with a mustache, she put his little mustache made of fabric. How about these here? Uh, chatting, gossiping, telling the week's gossip. I hadn't noticed that some of their faces have a lot of detail. Let's see, while some faces are flat, more simple, others have cheeks, they have cheekbones, the old people have wrinkles, for example, like this old lady, look at all the detail on her cheek. Wow. Yes, the artisan must take a long time making them. And as I was saying, all of this is clearly placed here intentionally. All the tables, all the tools, the cut firewood. It's that, it's scenography, exactly. How about my buddies here? Uh, from the infrastructure, they came to fix the electricity, they came to fix the phone antennas, because yes, that has surprised me quite a bit, even though we are in a small village deep in the mountains, very rural, there is signal, and very good signal. And of course, this is the moment we insert the mention of our sponsor for this video, which once again is Holafly. Thanks Holafly for supporting our content so much, it's truly appreciated. On my travels around the world, I stay connected using [music] Holafly, which is an excellent service that offers you unlimited data packages in over 200 destinations around the planet. They offer regional packages and they also have a global package that truly allows you to stay connected in many parts of the [music] planet. It all works with an eSIM, which makes installation very easy. from your browser or from the app, you select how many [music] days you will be there, you install it very, very simply. We have a discount code for the channel, 5% discount [music] on every purchase and recharge. All the links will be left here below in the description. Thanks Holafly for sponsoring our content and for keeping us connected on our travels around the planet. Uh, come on, let's keep exploring. What do you think, Mr. Millamoto? How's the fishing today? How are the Lent winds? Tasty, right? They hit hard, they hit hard. Your wife there advising you over there. Another one working. Perhaps clearing the weeds. These here are the gossiping old ladies of the neighborhood. Didn't you see that yesterday Laura's son came home late? Oh, yes. He came with a beer and with a girl who, like, no. They're not those. Hey, in every neighborhood there's one. These are. These are these. These here are some of the few houses that are inhabited. In fact, we just talked to an old lady who lives there, very nice. The Oovahan, the grandmother. I loved that she has her little scarecrow dog. Let's see, we don't know the context, maybe it's her dog that passed away. No, we don't know. We don't know. But yes, very nice. And you can tell which houses are inhabited because they have clothes hanging outside and so on. Wow, what luck we had. We found Skimisama here and she's allowing us a few quick minutes to chat with her. Kon 方 がく て くれる よう に なり まし た [music] 。 日本 の 方 も たくさん を に来 て くれる よう に なり まし て ない は もう 誰 も なかっ た ですけど ね海 Oh. Oh. [music] Wow, that was super special. No way, really, we were walking here and then we saw a lady and I said, "She looks like the one from the pamphlet." So we asked her, "Are you the the lady, the teacher, what do I say, the artisan, [music] the artist, uh, Kimy Sun?" and she said, "Yes, I am, and we, please, let us interview you." And she said, "Yes, but I'm in a bit of a hurry and all, but she was truly lovely, super nice." Then she stayed chatting with us, we told her we were from Mexico. She said, "Show me on a map, where is Mexico?" Because I don't know. She took out her huge map and said, "Let's see, where?" This is Mexico. And then we told her, "She's from Venezuela." Ah, well, from Venezuela. And then Javi, who is with us. By the way, "Javi, come here for a moment so you can say hello." This is the good Javi, our friend from Spain. All good, my Javi. All good, delighted to be here with you. Yes. And he speaks Japanese fluently, so we said, "Hey, come with us to help us translate and all." And it was really cool, right? I think it went very well. Yes, the truth is that it's a very peculiar place, very beautiful, the vibe it has. Very good, right? Yes, yes. Truly, very nice. Then she showed us a bit of the process of how she makes them. She told us that she was just starting on the face of a new doll, that she uses newspaper, she was explaining, right? Truly, lovely, lovely. Thanks to her, this town has life. Thanks to her, this town looks like this, it stays beautiful. People come to visit it, tourism exists, right? Truly, wow, it's super nice to be able to chat with her. I loved it. And she was telling us that this represents a wedding. This is a closed room. It could be like the community center and all. And wow, the number of guests who came to this wedding, tremendous, huh? Tremendous. Of all ages, a beautiful moment. This wedding guest is having his cigarette. Look at him there, my buddy, huh? With his ashtray and everything. The hand is even like holding it, and the detail that he has like a poorly shaved beard, well, a mustache, and nose hairs sticking out. I mean, he's an old man here, huh, grumpy, right? Here at the wedding [laughter] stinking up the whole room. I love that detail, it's that, it's, well, without love for what you do, this isn't achieved. I mean, this is love for your art and it's [music] beautiful. And yes, look, precisely this newspaper is what she uses to stuff them, and each doll takes about 3 days. So, uh, very cool, truly. Very beautiful. Oh, how funny this one is. Look, I hadn't noticed. He's talking on the phone, look. [laughter] Making a little call here, a little phone call, uh, on an old rotary phone. [music] And here she has some newspapers she's appeared in, uh, which is very nice. Local press that has featured her. Here's another report they did on her. Wow. Super, super beautiful. Here she also sells souvenirs, uh, which are very beautiful, truly. So, well, we're going to take a few to support the art, right? And check it out here, exactly, this lid says 1000 for each souvenir, and leave the money here, I mean, exactly. Here she leaves the cash. So, well, let's hope no one takes it, right? But but it's there. Let's hope it really reaches Yaosan. If not, it would be a shame. But I think so, truly. I think so. Here, only cool tourists come, only cool tourists, no one here is living. And well, yes, we're going to take a few for the family and stuff, right? Because truly, it's super beautiful. What great work. Well, let's keep walking, right? Let's keep exploring. She told us there's a school across the bridge. She says that's like her masterpiece, that it's like the coolest thing she's done. So, let's go to the school to see how it is, to continue being impressed with all of this. [music] [music] Let's cross the bridge to the school. Oh, by the way, if you want to come here to visit Aya Osan's work, know that uh, getting here is a bit difficult, okay? But it's fine, I mean, it's a day trip, there are no shops or anything nearby, I mean, you have to bring your own food, your water, whatever. Yes, in case, I don't know, in case you are around here, in this part of the world and say, "I want to see that peculiar little town." Know that it's very much worth it. Okay. Yes, it's a bit of a long journey, but it's very much worth it. This here is the school. Wow. Yes, it's very cool. Let's see, it closed in 2012 due to lack of students, clearly. And today, Mrs. Ayano has already turned it into her museum, she has taken over the building. Outside we see a few dolls, a few scarecrows, but check inside. No, no, inside it's mind-blowing. Through the window you can see some, okay, peeking out in a very creepy way, like, help us, someone, please. [laughter] Inside you see some more waiting, right? Uh, chilling. Inside some working on the computer, checking things, right? Perhaps those were things from the real school, right? I mean, there's like an old CD player and all. There are some for the Christmas season, some very, very beautiful Santa Clauses. Here is, without a doubt, the most impressive part, I would say, not just of the school, but of the entire town. You take off your shoes. Uh, of course. There are slippers you can put on so your feet don't get cold, because the floor is indeed cold. Ah, nice Pikachu socks, of course. Look at this. Now I understand why Mrs. Ayano said this is her masterpiece. Wow, the amount of detail here. Basically, what it represents is a school festival. So we see children interacting with parents, doing activities, taking photos, writing, reading. And I would say that she also defines it as her masterpiece because perhaps this is the place that causes her the most nostalgia. I don't know, well, she grew up here, she saw the school full, she went to school festivals, surely she had, I don't know, her little stall there selling games, right? and selling stuffed animals, who knows. So, seeing this place empty, it must surely be something very, very tough, right? It hits you with nostalgia, whether you want it or not. And the amount of detail, they all have different personalities, I mean, it's not like, oh, they're all the same, no, no, no. They all have a different look, some have mustaches, some have beards, they have caps, they have hair of different colors, of different styles. For example, here they are playing tug-of-war, right? This game where you pull the rope. What great detail. Even these here are leaning back, like they are pulling hard over here. This one, what would it be? Like Einstein, perhaps, right? Like it looks like, right? Like Einstein perhaps, or like Charles Chaplin perhaps, something like that. She has truly turned the entire town into a museum. It's impressive. By the way, someone tell that lady she can come in. I mean, she doesn't have to be there peeking from the window. What lady can come in? I mean, nothing will happen, huh? She's been banned, they won't let her into the school anymore. So she's there watching how the whole town is having fun except her. Madam, come in. Don't be shy. Don't be shy, madam. Come in. And something I find beautiful is that there isn't a single security guard here. There's no one really supervising, no one looking after things. Everything is based entirely on trust, on trusting that good people will come, that they won't steal things, that they won't vandalize, that they won't mess it up, scratch it. In many places, well, the truth is that, well, that would happen, right? People would come here, well, they would do their bad things and all and they would leave everything scratched and graffitied and wouldn't respect the lady's work. But precisely in these villages that are so small and rely so much on respect, there really isn't a single police officer, there isn't a single guard, everyone who comes to visit simply respects and admires the work of the lady. She doesn't charge a single penny, it's not like she charges you a ticket, an entrance fee to come, no, no, no. It's like, everyone come, come in, if you want to buy a handicraft, if you want to leave a tip there, but it's not like they're charging you a ticket, exactly. All that's left for her is the satisfaction that people came to admire her work, her not hours, not days, not weeks, her years of work invested in this massive work of art. Truly, wow, I think that expresses it very well. Four letters. G [music] u a u. Wow. [laughter] I loved coming to this place. [music] How peculiar, truly. How peculiar. Without a doubt, one of the most interesting towns I have visited in my life, in my entire life. and I'm loving being able to document it and share it with all of you. It's something truly special, very beautiful. Well, there you have it, a bit of Nagoro, the village of scarecrows in southern Japan, a place that at first I thought would be very spooky, creepy, but on the contrary, it left me with a feeling of great joy, of great peace, and it has deeply moved me, truly, to think that this is the work of years and years of a person who has so much love for her home, for the town where she was born, for the town where she grew up. an attempt to maintain life, to maintain the memories of what once was, and a testament to how time passes and everyone forgets. Very beautiful, sincerely. I've been fascinated, I've been moved. I tell you, that's the right word. Tell me in the comments what you thought of it, would you dare to come all the way here? I want to express my admiration for Ayano-san, truly, wow. she has made her town her own museum and and [laughter] truly, this will go down in the history of humanity. More than something spooky and disturbing, I would say it's something beautiful and full of art. Thank you very much for accompanying me on another adventure. We'll see each other, as always, you know, in a few days with a new video. Goodbye.