Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 9, 1995 TAG: 9503090066
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The pupils at Grandin Court Elementary School had to get used to that Wednesday. They could look, but not touch.
The dolls are special, and Japanese girls do not play with them. They are expensive, costing up to $10,000 for a set.
They are handed down through generations as part of a tradition that began 350 years ago.
It's not just the fear of breaking the dolls that keeps them on the shelf. They are decorative - made to look at, not to hug.
The children at the Roanoke school learned about the festival dolls as part of a growing cultural exchange program with Salem's Yokohama Tire Co.
``They're cool,'' said Holly Wright, a fifth-grader. ``I thought they would be about the size of Barbie, but they're bigger.''
``They're expensive,'' Lauren Hunter said.
Japan has a Girls' Festival of Dolls in March, one of three holidays each year celebrating children. There is a Boys' Festival in May, and another holiday in November.
Hiro Akashi, executive vice president of Yokohama, said the dolls are displayed in homes during girls' festivals.
The display shown at Grandin Court includes an emperor and empress, court ladies, musicians, guards and servants.
It also includes furniture, carts, ceremonial tea sets and other objects that give the appearance of a collection of items in a doll house.
It belongs to the family of Hironobu Murao, an engineer with Yokohama. The dolls were given to their daughter.
Japanese girls have Barbies and other dolls to play with, but they have a special feeling for the festival dolls, said Harue Murao, wife of the Yokohama engineer.
Akashi said the festival dolls are made specially by doll makers and can range in price from $3,000 to $10,000 - or even more.
Yokohama has presented several programs about Japanese culture and traditions at Grandin Court Elementary this year. A Japanese teaching intern at the school helped arrange the educational partnership.
Pupils have made trips to Yokohama's plant as part of the exchange. Akashi said he hopes the program will help bridge the cultural gap and help the children better understand Japan.
Yokohama hopes to expand its Japanese cultural exchange to other schools, Akashi said.
by CNB