Joe Biden, Kamala Harris among figures featured as traditional Japanese dolls
(Mainichi Japan)
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- A traditional doll maker that unveils new figures featuring prominent newsmakers each year has chosen the governors of Tokyo and Osaka, two cities with high numbers of novel coronavirus cases, this time as a gesture of hope for an end to the pandemic.
Tokyo-based Kyugetsu Co. revealed the "hina" dolls of Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike, 68, and Hirofumi Yoshimura, 45, on Wednesday at its headquarters ahead of Girls' Day on March 3.
In Japan, hina dolls, representing an emperor, empress and their attendants wearing the court dress of the Heian period (794-1185), are traditionally displayed by families with girls to celebrate the Girls' Day festival each spring.
The firm also revealed dolls representing U.S. President Joe Biden, 78, and Vice President Kamala Harris, 56, "in the hopes they will restore order to the world."
Kyugetsu decided to feature the two governors "in the hope that they can suppress the virus and lead us back to our normal daily lives soon," said a company spokesperson.
The dolls will be displayed at the company's headquarters until Friday.
