In what must be a strange (and mildly disturbing) sight for visitors, old residents of the small town of Nagoro in Shikoku, Japan are replaced by life-size dolls. The ‘valley of dolls’ is an effort by artist and resident Ayano Tsukimi who had returned after 11 years to find many old residents gone, having either moved to other towns or passed on. Over the course of 10 years, Tsukimi has constructed over 350 dolls around the town, all with a special memory. The dolls are constructed in places that she feels have a particular significance to the person, be it in the farm or by the stream. Find out more about the valley of dolls in a short film by Berlin-based filmmaker Fritz Schumann who recently visited the town. (via Colossal)