In 1993, Miss Fukuoka made a homecoming to Fukuoka Prefecture, and she has visited Japan twice since then. This time the doll has been on exhibit at the Yokohama Doll Museum since November 2000 while the University of Oregon Museum of Art is being renovated.

On November 10, 2000, a ceremony was held at the Yokohama Doll Museum to welcome Miss Fukuoka on her homecoming to Japan. The ceremony included five women who spoke of their memories of the Japanese Friendship Dolls sent to America in 1927. A group of sixth-grade girls sang the Good-bye Song to the Dolls at the welcome party for Miss Fukuoka. 

In June 2001, Miss Fukuoka traveled to Yamagata City for a six-day exhibition at Onuma Department Store, where she was displayed with the Blue-eyed Dolls from Daiichi Elementary School, Zao Daiichi Elementary School, and Kanai Elementary School.

Mystery of the Japanese Friendship Dolls

The Japanese Friendship Dolls that traveled to America in 1927 received enthusiastic welcomes all over the country, and they had a big influence among Japanese people living in the US. The dolls were unpacked and packed again and again at numerous welcoming ceremonies. As a result, today many examples are known where the dolls, kimonos, doll stands, and accessories went to different permanent homes, and they are no longer together in the same way as when they left Japan.

Japanese Friendship Doll "Miss Kanagawa"?

According to 1927 records, the Japanese Friendship Doll "Miss Kanagawa" was sent to the state of Oregon. At present, the doll known as Miss Kanagawa has not been discovered. The University of Oregon Museum of Art has lent to the Yokohama Doll Museum 63 letters, which were written by elementary school students and were sent with Miss Kanagawa in 1927. These valuable letters allow one to follow the path of the 1927 Doll Exchange.