Assistant Director of the Japan Foundation Naomi Kawase is explaining about a ningyo doll named Takechi Jujiro in an exhibition held at the ITS Industrial Product Design Department

Kampus ITS, ITS News – After previously being successful in the Yokai Parade exhibition, the Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) was again appointed by the Japan Foundation to host the Ningyo: Art and Beauty of Japanese Dolls exhibition. Held at the ITS Industrial Product Design Department, this exhibition is open to the public from 23 August – 12 September 2023.

The exhibition with the theme of the history of human dolls from Japan was held in three different places. The first was held at the National Gallery of Indonesia in Jakarta last July. After that, the exhibition will be held at ITS and the last one is planned at Cush Cush Gallery, Denpasar in September and October.

The Dean of the Faculty of Creative Design and Digital Business (FDKBD) Imam Baihaqi ST MSc PhD said that culture is a part of people’s lives that continues to develop. “Through this exhibition, I hope that students can be inspired by Japanese culture so that they can also develop and preserve Indonesian culture,” said the lecturer in the Department of Business Management.

Deputy Consul General of Japan in Surabaya Ishii Yutaka (second from right) explains one of the ningyo dolls to the Dean of FDKBD ITS Imam Baihaqi ST MSc PhD (right)

Meanwhile, Deputy Consul General of Japan in Surabaya Ishii Yutaka also expressed his pleasure for holding the Ningyo exhibition. He explained that the history of the ningyo doll cannot be separated from the life of Japanese society. “Not only exhibiting its beauty, this doll is also used as a medium to pray for children, one of which is at the Hina Matsuri Festival,” he explained.

Ningyo itself is a Japanese term which means human doll. In this exhibition, more than 60 dolls are displayed which are divided into four different sections. Among other things, dolls to pray for the growth of children, dolls as works of art, dolls as folk art, and the spread of ningyo culture.

Since ancient times, this work of art that has been born since ancient times or 794-1185 AD has often been used by Japanese people as a medium to pray for children to avoid bad luck and always get happiness. Along with the times, ningyo began to shift into handicrafts that you can enjoy the beauty of.

(from left) Deputy Consul General of Japan in Surabaya Ishii Yutaka, Dean of ITS FDKBD Imam Baihaqi ST MSc PhD and Assistant Director of the Japan Foundation Naomi Kawase opening the Ningyo exhibition at ITS

In this exhibition, the development and changes in the shape of the ningyo are told according to the times. This can be seen through the shape of the ningyo, from the traditional to the collector figure. Not only that, this exhibition also displays ningyo forms with characteristics from each region in Japan.

On this occasion, Imam also hoped that the exhibition would be able to spur students to produce new cultural products and help grow the economy. In addition, he also hopes to continue to maintain good relations with the Japan Foundation. “Hopefully this exhibition can inspire and inflame cooperation between Indonesia and Japan,” he concluded. (ITS Public Relation)

Reporter: Regy Zaid Zakaria