Urayasu Friendship Doll Exchange Association
(UFDEA)

Purpose

In 1927, 12,739 friendship dolls from the United States had been sent to our country.
 In appreciation, we sent our dolls in return.  Friendship through the exchange of
dolls thus began between the citizens of the United States and Japan.
 The ‘blue-eyed doll’ sparked the start of the friendship doll exchange program.
 With the sincere promise that we shall never repeat war, the program aims for
global peace through the exchange of friendship dolls between the world citizens.

WHY IN URAYASU?

In 1927, Ms. Isabella Marjorie, who has resided in Orlando City (sister-city of Urayasu City), sent a friendship doll named Anama Julie to Japan.
The existence of Anama Julie in Nio-cho, Kagawa Prefecture was found out
and in 1995, 50 years after the war, at the 5th anniversary of the two sister-cities of Urayasu and Orlando, the homecoming of Anama Julie to Orlando
and the“New Start of the Friendship Doll Exchange Towards the 21st Century”
were officially announced.
Urayasu Friendship Doll Exchange Association was then established.
 Friendship dolls were made from donations of ‘kimono’ materials,
and the program to send each one of the dolls to children
across the world (mainly to sister-city of Orlando) started.

Anama Julie

As of March 2003, 28 friendship dolls were sent out from Urayasu
and 22 friendship dolls were received.  For example, some friendship dolls
made by the students of Urayasu Junior High School and Tomioka Junior High School
were sent to junior high schools in Orlando in the past and even today,
the exchanges between the schools continue.

Head	Kimono	Obi