Nagoro, the Japanese village with more scarecrows than people

In the mountains of Tokushima Prefecture on Shikoku island, there is a village that looks, from a distance, like any ordinary countryside: children gathered in the school hall, mothers tending gardens, older people waiting at the bus stop. Up close, it becomes clear that they are all dolls. This is Nagoro, which VnExpress featured in its travel section on October 9, 2026.

The village is called the “Scarecrow Village” because it has more scarecrows than residents. Only about 30 people still live there, while roughly 350 cloth figures stand around in many sizes, depicting adults and children doing everyday things like working in the rice fields or chatting by the well. The cause is a familiar mix of migration to cities and an aging population. The elementary school closed for lack of pupils, and now the dolls sit at the desks.

The story began about 30 years ago, when resident Tsukimi Ayano made a scarecrow for her family’s rice field and used her father’s old clothes instead of straw. Because the figures were often mistaken for real people, she made more, with different outfits and poses, and other residents joined in. According to the Shikoku Tourism Organization, each figure is registered with a name, a personality, and its own story. Ms. Tsukimi says: “Making dolls was my hobby. I never imagined my hobby would become something like this.”

Nagoro has more than 1,000 reviews on Google. Many visitors find it a unique destination, while some find the quiet space a little eerie, especially on rainy days. Nearby are the Oku-Iya double vine bridge, Mount Tsurugi at over 1,900 m, the Oboke gorge and the old village of Ochiai.

Personally, I think this is a very special way to look at the fact that Japan’s countryside is steadily emptying out.

Source: VnExpress