‘Children’s Day’ (Kodomo no hi) is celebrated in Japan every year on 5 May. Originally a celebration for boys and known as Tango-no-sekku, the day is celebrated by displaying Gogatsu Ningyō (lit. ‘May dolls’) made specially for this festival to wish for boys’ good health and fortune.

In this talk and demonstration exploring the making of Gogatsu Ningyō, Hara Hiroko, third generation dollmaker at Goshiki, a specialist doll manufacturer based in Tokyo with over 100 years of history, explained the cultural significance of Gogatsu Ningyō in Japan and introduced the art of dollmaking with a demonstration from her studio in Tokyo.