Happy Doll is the only mascot which does not exist anywhere else in the world. There isn’t one Happy Doll that is identical to another Happy Doll. Some are lily and some are humorous. Some make you laugh, and some are sexually attractive. Just like us human beings, each one is different and each one is good in its own way. The only common thing is that they all have their own charm and make us feel warm.

Each one is small, but when they get together, they can play music like a symphony and have power to give people who come see them.

And all these amulets, in which people’s wishes are embedded, are made in hospitals.

“How wonderful would it be if we could convey the feeling of joy to connect with other people…?”

This was the starting point of the Happy Doll Project, which links hospitals all over Japan since January of this year.

Under this Happy Doll Project, patients, doctors, and other staff make their own Happy Doll, display their dolls inside that hospital, and then relay these Dolls to the next hospital. In the past year, we have connected 13 hospitals in Japan and held 14 workshops.

At the display in each hospital, the Happy Dolls which were made in other hospitals were also displayed, and the numbers of one-and-only Happy Dolls kept increasing.

The reason why I selected doll-making for this hospital project was Ms. Harumi Ichinose. She was in and out of the hospital, and happily supported our hospital art, which aimed to make hospitals a more comforting place. She was in the terminal stage of cancer and her doctor had already told her how much longer she had to live. But even knowing this, she kept on making cute dolls, which comforted our hearts.

“If people could use this soft fabric and choose any style they like, maybe any patients who are hospitalized might be interested…?”

As she continued making the dolls that we used as our navigators, we went around to different hospitals. Doing this project, I was traveling around with Harumi, who was sincerely hoping that hospitals would be a more comforting place.

I started this project hoping that hospitals, people, and art would be warmly linked. Looking back, I can’t believe that this project became reality. The boxes in which we put art pieces and display panels were all worn out after they went around Japan. But by then, the number of Dolls had considerably increased and our collection had become even more prolific.

They reminded me of smiles of various people whom we met at each hospital: those who left the hospital in good health, those who are still in the hospital, and even those who have passed away. Everyone dies some time. I’d like to live smiling until the very end and leave this world saying “Oh, it was fun!” Looking at these cheery, original, hopeful, and a bit nostalgic Happy Dolls, I cannot stop thanking all the people who have participated in the programs and those who have been supporting us.

Happy Dolls, who were made by various people all over Japan, have now expanded to one troop of Happy Dolls, and they seem to symbolize people’s sympathy, love, and power.