This Japanese woman is replacing dead people in her village with life-size dolls

Ayano Tsukimi is a 67-year-old woman who lives in a small village called Nagoro on a southern Japanese island, and she likes to make dolls.

Tsukimi has spent the past 14 years making life-size dolls in memory of all the people who die in her village - which is almost two hours away from a hospital.

In a short documentary videoIn Valley of Dolls by Fritz Schumann she said:

I thought we needed scarecrows so I made one doll looking like my father.

Tsukimi has made approximately 350 dolls - over 300 more than the population of her village (which is 37 and dwindling).

The dolls are reminiscent of those found in Shinto shrines, which are scattered densely all around Japan as a way to honour both the dead and kami, or 'gods.'

The facial expressions are the hardest part… the lips are difficult.

She places the dolls - which last around three years - all over the village in day-to-day positions.

Such as doing a spot of farming...

Or studying in class...

But, umm, isn't this a tad creepy?

Tsukimi concludes in the video:

Some [people] may feel frightened because they look so real.

I don’t think dying is scary.

Watch Schumann's video below:

More: This man spent more than a decade creating a garden so his blind wife could smell its flowers

More: The Japanese stereotype map of Europe