First Love: Homage to the “Factory Girls*”

Statement

Visiting Ichinomiya,  I reflected on the good old bustling days. Beautiful classical houses with traditional gardens, faded shop signs, I thought of the girls who worked in the "sawtooth roof factories" back then, and the behind-the-scenes story of the once-flourishing wool textile industry.

I had the opportunity to hear the story of a former factory worker, once known as "Orihime," the weaving princess. She came to an unfamiliar land at the age of 15 and worked hard, six days a week from dawn until late at night, for 10 years. She missed her faraway hometown, but she was happy to be able to send money to her mother, who was suffering even harder than she was as a heavy manual laborer in a male-dominated field. "That's just how it was in those days." She repeatedly said.

At her small live-in factory, where she lived and worked for 10 years, she shared a six-tatami-mat room with a girl from the same hometown. "We are still good friends.” Her gentle gaze fixed on the distance made me wonder what their daily conversations, their friendships, and their first loves were like, and what dreams they had for the future.

We must not forget that behind the prosperity of the industrial economy lay the labor force of socially vulnerable people, including young girls, many of whom lived in harsh conditions.

However, amidst this, I can’t stop imagining how adolescent girls permeate the air like the fragrance of quiet flowers, with a dream of blooming that represents the strength all humanity needs to survive, and is a wisdom we could learn, I believe.

Inspired by the image of those girls, the Kokeshi Dolls* of  “Factory Girls”*were created by connection across generations, such as from the thread spools still used in the factory today, remnants left behind in the old factory, and fragments I found, all crafted by hand with thread produced in Ichinomiya. 35 figures include 31 Kokeshi Dolls* of "Factory Girls"* and 4 of their bosses. 31 is the number of female factory workers who were unable to escape and died in a fire at a local factory in 1900.

A Sakura petal made of torn washi paper, which signifies an individual's life, is suspended from the ceiling by a white thread 　salvaged from the site and hovers above the installation, as if in tribute to the female workers who worked here.

Dedicated to the girls who spent their youth in this area, dreaming of the future.

* The term "Joko, or Factory Girls "carries misogynistic connotations and is considered an inappropriate expression in modern times. In this exhibition, however, it is intentionally used to convey the nuances of the time.

* Kokeshi Dolls are traditional, handcrafted wooden dolls with 150 years of history, characterized by a simple, limbless cylindrical body and a round head, symbolizing good luck.