Traditional doll maker displays the year's news-related dolls

Kawaribina are special dolls depicting events from the past year, created annually by Mataro Doll Company since 1946.

The basic shape of every doll is carefully hand-molded by Mataro himself and the dolls are entirely handmade. The artisanal skills that go into each doll have been inherited for about 260 years.

The founder, Kanabayashi Mataro the First, started to make the dolls, hoping to carry the voice of customers, from discontent to desires, into society. Kawaribina dolls are issued every day on TV, newspapers and the internet.