The village of Nagoro in Japan has been called one of the scariest places in the world: 350 creepy dolls "live" there. Photo

The village of Nagoro in Japan is located in a mountain valley at an altitude of 800 meters above sea level. Due to this location, many of the locals left long ago, but their places are not empty - they have been taken over by dolls.

This was reported by the Daily Star. Nagoro is considered one of the scariest places in the world: its population is about 30 people and 350 life-size scarecrows.

"A village where the dead or long-lost residents have been replaced by dolls" sounds like a horror movie set, but it's actually a real place you can visit. The dolls outnumber the living inhabitants by more than 10 times.

The scarecrows not only have a human appearance, but also imitate the activities of the villagers. The "locals" gather at bus stops, sit on porches, and work in the fields. Some of them dance together at a party, while the "workers" wear helmets and relax in the yards of their houses.

When a Japanese woman named Tsukimi Ayano moved in, only 30 people still lived in the village, so she decided to fill the empty space with dolls. The dolls were not made to be scary on purpose, but they create the atmosphere of a "mysterious valley." The dolls, otherwise known as "kakashi" or scarecrows in Japanese, help fight loneliness (rather than scare away birds).

The artist Tsukimi Ayano, known as the "Scarecrow Mother," is a creator of strange works. Tsukimi was born in Nagoro but moved away, eventually returning in 2002. When she returned, she found that most of the villagers had left the village in search of a better life.

The population continued to decline as the elderly residents gradually passed away. So she decided to create new residents herself.

Some of the models are also a tribute to residents who have passed away. Every autumn, Nagoro hosts a Scarecrow Festival with a photo contest - the winner receives their own doll, as well as workshops on scarecrow making.

Although the villagers never intended for the village to become a tourist attraction, they now see many foreign visitors traveling to the remote valley every year to see the unusual painting.

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