Orient Industry Special Talk

1. Sculptor: Nobuyuki Tsuru

“What I’ve Done Determines My Direction”

To be honest, I can’t pinpoint exactly how I ended up making love dolls – it just somehow happened. Looking back, it feels like I was both carried by the tide and paddling with all my might. There were many turning points along the way, and I walked a path that often felt like a maze with no end.

I never thought creating love dolls would become my career. It’s not about having talent or lacking it, or about strengths and weaknesses. Rather, I believe it comes down to how much time you’ve devoted to something throughout your life. The present is built upon that accumulation, and it shapes the direction of your future. Conversely, if I had convinced myself that I wasn’t suited for this or had given up thinking it was impossible, I probably would’ve ended up somewhere entirely different.

Fascinated by Dolls Since Childhood

I was born in Kurosaki, Kitakyushu City, where there’s a festival called Kurosaki Gion Yamakasa, also known as “Kenka Yamakasa.” The parade floats were decked out with dazzling lights like decorated trucks (dekotora) and featured elaborate dolls depicting characters from stories like Sanada Ten Braves and Nanso Satomi Hakkenden. These floats raged through the streets, leaving a strong impression on me as a child.

I grew up during the golden age of manga, with legends like Osamu Tezuka, Shotaro Ishinomori, and Leiji Matsumoto. Manga back then often included characters like Dutch wives and sexaroids. The toys I loved were action figures with movable joints like G.I. Joe and Henshin Cyborg. On TV, puppet shows like Thunderbirds and those by Jusaburo Tsujimura captivated me. These childhood influences undeniably shaped who I am.

I also vividly remember a Shiseido commercial where Sayoko Yamaguchi appeared alongside traditional Japanese doll artisans and mannequins from a company called Nana-iro. That left a lasting impression – I wonder if that was an early sign of my future involvement in doll creation.

Everything from the way I played as a kid to my deep dives into movies and music—even my time in a band – has become the foundation for how I steer my life today.

The Fleeting Brilliance of the TV Industry

After graduating from art university, I spent about 10 years working in television set design. In the TV world, visuals are everything. You could stay up for days creating something, only for it to be thrown out right after filming – it just gets in the way. You can’t store massive set pieces, so it’s inevitable. Still, hearing that a talent liked a costume I made and took it home, or that it ended up stored by the costume team, made me happy.

I once made a life-sized, gyaru-style doll for a comedy trio to use in a sketch about a rescue operation. They loved it so much they took it on their regional tours. That might have been the very first life-sized doll I ever made, now that I think about it. (laughs)

There was also an antique baby doll I created for a drama that gradually transformed into a demonic face. Viewers apparently flooded the network with calls asking to buy it or where to find one. That’s when I realized the power of television.

Working in TV was fun and educational. But gradually, I began to feel a subconscious desire to create something people would cherish for a long time – something truly needed, rather than something that vanishes like a firework. That feeling eventually led me to the world of love doll creation.

Dolls That Go Beyond Imagination

My main focus is sculpting the heads of the dolls. What I find most fascinating about this work is how the final result far exceeds my original vision. My prototypes get makeup, wigs, clothing, and artistic direction – they strike poses and come to life. Every time I see the finished doll again, it surprises me.

I also enjoy imagining how the dolls will live with their future owners. There’s excitement in creating with that image in mind.

I believe dolls hold untapped potential. For example, wouldn’t it be amazing if one appeared as a model in a high-fashion magazine like VOGUE, and people started wondering, “Who is this model?” That kind of surprise would be fantastic.

Infinite Possibilities in Sculpture

To generate ideas for faces, I constantly collect reference materials, especially from gravure magazines. My atelier is filled with life masks – people unfamiliar with the process might be a bit creeped out! (laughs)

The sculpting process involves combining facial parts in line with a project’s concept, balancing them to create a natural look. Over time, I often feel the urge to revise things. Our perspectives change with time, as does society’s perception of beauty.

Ideal facial features vary by country, and preferences differ from person to person. No two people have the exact same face. Since sculpting possibilities are infinite, I may never create something I’m 100% satisfied with—even in a lifetime.

Carving Emotion Into Expression

A truly attractive face isn’t one that’s flawlessly beautiful. If you aim for textbook symmetry and try to create a standard beauty, it ends up looking dull – like a mannequin. Even if it initially grabs attention, it quickly becomes boring. You know that saying, “You get tired of a beautiful face in three days”? It’s true.

Facial expressions are closely tied to the brain’s right and left hemispheres. It’s said that the right side of the face shows your “public face,” while the left reveals your “true feelings.” Women, in particular, have a larger corpus callosum connecting both hemispheres, making their expressions more complex.

What makes a face charming is often a subtle emotional expression. Sometimes people say, “She’s not my type, but there’s something about her expression in this photo,” or “That little feature is what makes her attractive.”

But even if you try to combine all those charming features into one face, it can still feel off-balance and end up looking unnatural. That’s why I try to capture fleeting emotional nuances – those sparks that appear in a moment of real conversation – and carve them into the sculpt.

This isn’t just about techniques or know-how. It’s something deeply primitive and emotional. It’s like infusing the sculpture with the feeling that “this girl is looking at you with this emotion.” It’s something digital methods like 3D printing can’t quite replicate.

A Bust of a Lost Son and a Mother’s Love

When I was a student, a sculpture professor told me this story:

A single mother lost her young son in a tragic accident. She had worked tirelessly, day and night, and hadn’t spent much time with him. She also hadn’t held him often, wanting him to grow up strong. But after the accident, his body was in no condition to be embraced.

She asked the professor to create a bust, not just a photo, to place on the altar—something she could hold. When the bust was finished, relatives who knew the boy said it looked just like him, so lifelike. But the mother looked unhappy and said, “This doesn’t look like my son.”

So the professor asked, “Which photo is your favorite?” From that one image, he started over. The final result didn’t please the relatives, but the mother cried tears of gratitude.

When I asked the professor why, he explained:

“The photo she chose showed a completely different expression. He was a well-behaved boy who always put on a brave face. But in that picture, I saw a deep, trusting affection—a look he probably only showed his mother. That’s what I sculpted.”

Even if I can’t match that level of technical skill, I want to carry that same spirit in my work.

A Love Doll Should Never Be Just a Product

What I admire about Orient Industry is that we treat love dolls not as personal works of art, but as products made to delight our customers. Every staff member prioritizes customer satisfaction and continually innovates.

That’s why, when planning new projects – whether it’s the body or the face – there are always lively debates. For instance, “Why make the bust that large?” or “Isn’t this face too childlike?” Even on the sales side, someone might suggest, “What if we made it more androgynous? Maybe we’d attract more female users.” Everyone has strong opinions, and it’s tough to find consensus. But it shows how seriously we all take our work.

Of course, I also have personal preferences and ideas. But like the sales team considers customers’ emotional needs, I believe we must serve as industrial designers focused on meeting customer expectations – before pursuing our own desires.

What changed my perspective was reading customer letters and hearing their stories. Issues surrounding sexuality are deeper and more delicate than I had imagined. These aren’t things visible in everyday life. Love dolls can help fill an emotional void – something incredibly meaningful. Without this company, I might have stayed a self-centered artist, only interested in expressing myself.

If someone can feel joy, comfort, or hope – even just a little – from the love dolls we create, there’s nothing more rewarding.

People have many views on love dolls – as toys, decorations, or something else entirely. But I believe they’re more than mere objects. They can be emotional companions. That’s why they should never be reduced to cheap industrial products.

I’ve probably said too much, given this is our 40th anniversary. I usually avoid interviews because I believe the maker’s backstory doesn’t matter to the customer. I want the dolls we send out to be like pure, untouched gifts from the heavens.

Only after reaching the customer do they begin to take on color, develop personalities, and grow. Creating such dolls – that’s our mission.

2. “Doll Makeup” – Makiko Kusano

The Opposite of Human Makeup

As you might expect, doll makeup is quite different from human makeup.

Ordinary makeup typically involves evening out the skin with foundation or concealer, applying eye makeup, adding blush, and finishing with lipstick. In contrast, a bare silicone doll’s face is entirely uniform in color – it has no blemishes or shadows at all. That’s why, when applying makeup to a doll, we deliberately add things like shadows, dull tones, or even slight unevenness to create the illusion of depth and natural realism.

With human makeup, we usually try to hide dark circles under the eyes or discoloration around the nose with concealer. But in doll makeup, we do the opposite – we add slight darkening or discoloration in those areas. Only very subtly, of course. It’s a reversal of standard makeup techniques, but doing so brings out a sense of life and breath in the doll’s expression.

Also, unlike humans, dolls don’t move. A living person constantly shifts facial expressions, which contributes to their unique impression. But since a doll’s expression is fixed, it must convey everything in that one unchanging face. Applying the same kind of makeup used on a human might end up looking unnatural on a static doll. So while it’s hard to explain, I try to retain a touch of fantasy in their appearance.

Leaving Room for Imagination

By “fantasy,” I mean not spelling everything out, not over-explaining the image. A love doll’s expression is like the final scene of a film – each viewer may interpret it differently. That’s why I intentionally leave space for interpretation, incorporating a certain vagueness to evoke imagination.

Trendy makeup looks seen in fashion magazines are lovely, but I don’t prioritize them when doing doll makeup. The basic concept is always guided by the male gaze – an eternal, idealized image of a woman held in the heart. So rather than applying superficial trends, I focus on expressing something deeper – like the core or essence of femininity.

Studying Real-World Beauty

When I begin a new makeup design, I start by reviewing the concept and reference materials for that specific doll. These materials usually include photos of real people or fictional characters that match the intended image. Before applying makeup to the actual silicone head, I do a test run on a prototype. While working, I think about how best to adapt the coloring to the unique texture of silicone.

As part of my training to refine detail work, I make a habit of carefully observing people’s faces in everyday life. Looking at models or actresses in media is helpful, but observing real, beautiful women out on the street is the most valuable. I look closely at how natural shadows form on their moving expressions.

Since media images are inherently two-dimensional, seeing real women in three-dimensional space is incredibly educational. I especially love capturing their natural, unguarded expressions—the ones they’re not consciously making. Lately, it’s almost become a hobby… I sometimes catch myself staring intently at beautiful women! (laughs)

Doll Makeup Is a Patient, Steady Process

While doll makeup requires a certain level of technical skill, I also believe that some people are just naturally better suited for it. The work involves layering colors little by little every day. So if you’re the type who constantly seeks novelty and change, this might not be the right job. Personally, I not only enjoy the coloring process, but I think my personality aligns well with the patience and focus the work demands – that’s why I’ve been able to stick with it.

I wouldn’t call it a “trick,” but since every doll is hand-painted, I’m always mindful of maintaining consistency across units. It’s difficult to eliminate all discrepancies, but I try to keep the impression consistent by staying true to the doll’s concept.

Also, given the nature of love dolls, customers often look closely at their faces. So I pay special attention to not leaving behind brush marks or signs of the artist’s hand. I want to avoid interfering with the customer’s fantasy or worldview.

Bringing Out a Unique, Non-Human Charm

Some customers post images of their dolls on blogs or social media. I enjoy quietly viewing them and thinking, “They’re really taking good care of her,” or “So this is how they live together.” Unlike typical dolls that are displayed in glass cases, love dolls are more like companions in daily life. Seeing them treated with such care makes me genuinely happy.

Doll makeup often focuses on realism – how closely we can replicate human life. But if we take that idea to its limit, then the human becomes the ultimate ideal, and the doll is always imitating it. That’s why, going forward, I want to explore unique charms that only dolls can possess – qualities that go beyond what it means to simply look human.

3. “Posing” by Nobuyuki Kodama

Try the Pose Yourself

Even the same doll can appear full of life or completely lifeless depending on a slight difference in posing. That’s why posing is such an important part of appreciating dolls.

The most crucial aspect of posing is trying out the pose yourself. If a pose looks unnatural, it probably feels unnatural too when you try to mimic it. By attempting the same pose, you can identify where the center of gravity should be, the angle of the chin and shoulders, and whether the right or left foot should be placed forward. Doing it yourself helps you understand what a natural pose looks like.

When deciding on a pose, the position of the pelvis is especially important. First, establish the direction of the pelvis, and then adjust the details – arms, legs, neck, chin, and fingertips.

In any case, the posing process involves trying it yourself and then tracing that movement onto the doll. If you’re struggling with doll posing, I highly recommend trying the pose on your own. The basic human skeleton is the same for men and women, so anyone can do it.

Since I frequently strike girlish poses at work, there was a time when people started joking that I might be gay! (laughs)

I’m also a fan of figures, and lately many of them are fully articulated. Just like with love dolls, practicing the same poses yourself helps you understand balance and weight distribution, ultimately improving your ability to pose them stylishly.

Expressing Delicate Emotions Through the Fingertips

There’s a saying that “God is in the details.” Those details include finger positioning, toe direction, the angle of the chin, and more. In particular, the expression conveyed through the fingers is crucial in doll posing. Dolls equipped with finger joint options can bend their fingers, allowing for very subtle emotional expressions.

For instance, a slight bend in the middle finger can suggest shyness or tension. A loose grip might convey hesitation, while a raised pinky can hint at joy or excitement. A wide range of emotions can be expressed through just the fingertips.

Imagining Yourself as the Doll

Photo shoots often come with themes or set scenarios, but having some creative constraints – like wanting to convey purity or eroticism—can make the process more engaging.

For example, if the doll is nude but you don’t want the nipples to be visible, you might bring the arms closer together or use the hair to cover the area naturally. I try to create poses that are unexpected or thought-provoking while still matching the intended theme. When deciding on a pose, I immerse myself in the doll’s perspective – what is she feeling? Is she nervous, happy, embarrassed?

Posing is about expressing the subject’s inner thoughts through physical form. I imagine the soul of the doll entering me, and from there I try to visualize the poses that best express what she might be feeling.

Drawing Inspiration from All Forms of Art

To hone my posing skills, I make a conscious effort to engage with many forms of creative expression – movies, TV dramas, musicals, paintings, manga, illustrations, figures, and more. These sources help inspire new ideas and variations.

I tend to have a bit of an otaku personality, and I like to dive deep into things. Even when reading manga, I’ll think things like, “This panel layout zooms out before zooming back in, then hits hard with a dramatic angle—brilliant!” I often analyze from a creator’s perspective. I think this habit of deeply analyzing expression might also be contributing to my skills in posing.

Originally, I was responsible for designing and developing the skeletal structures of love dolls. I only began working on photo shoot posing later on. But because I know the internal structures better than anyone, I eventually took on the posing as well, believing I could create even better, more dynamic poses.

Even the skeletons of Orient Industry dolls are beautiful and refined. Though there are some limitations due to the silicone body’s mechanics, we’ve designed them to accommodate a wide variety of poses. Dolls that can stand on their own in natural, lifelike poses are rare even by global standards.

The Japanese Ability to Connect Emotionally with Dolls

In Japan, there’s a long-standing animistic belief that all things possess a soul – be it a sandal or a stone. In contrast, Christianity prohibits idolatry in the Ten Commandments, and there’s a belief that for humans to create human-like figures is a form of blasphemy against God.

As a result, people in other countries tend to view dolls as mere objects. But Japanese people treat them with the same affection they would give to a living being. That’s why we don’t just project feelings onto dolls – we actually feel as though we can connect with them on a spiritual level.

4. “Doll Director” Mizuki Osawa

The Beauty of Balance and Moderation

There’s a subtle difference between the balance we perceive as beautiful in a human being and the balance we perceive as beautiful in a doll. In other words, if you were to take a woman whose style and appearance are universally admired and reproduce her exactly as a doll, the result might feel strangely off or lacking.

That’s why when determining a love doll’s proportions, a certain degree of stylization or exaggeration is necessary. There are a few “rules” or principles that help a doll appear beautiful. For example, slightly elongating the area below the knees or elbows, adding a more defined waist – by subtly altering the form, a more naturally beautiful impression is achieved. When it comes to sculpting the body, applying the right degree of emphasis or restraint in expression is key.

That said, we don’t quantify this work by stretching something a specific number of centimeters or by percentage. Instead, we visually confirm and fine-tune the design step by step as we complete it.

For example, the Yasuragi (Serenity) series was created by casting directly from actual female models. Our goal was to retain their natural impression – to preserve the human essence or “aliveness” they exuded.

Striving for Balance, Not Perfection

My main roles are body sculpting, as well as managing development and production schedules. For sculpting, I create the base body molds and work on internal mechanisms. It’s not flashy work, but these steps are essential, so I try to carry them out with great care and precision.

Although we have a fair amount of discretion during the production phase, that doesn’t mean sculptors can create whatever they like. Rather, when sculpting love dolls, I focus on maintaining balance and moderation rather than simply doing what I personally think looks good. I believe that’s what leads to forms and proportions that resonate with more people.

Orient Industry is a reasonably sized love doll manufacturer with a sizable team, so many ideas and opinions come into play. Both the heads and bodies go through rigorous planning and debate before production even begins. After thoroughly discussing the concepts and solidifying the vision, we finally start building. Our productivity stems from this clear division of roles and everyone doing their part within the organization.

To Be Colored, Not to Color

Orient Industry’s basic philosophy is to meet the desires of our customers as much as possible. This means creating the best possible product within certain limitations. Those constraints are part of the fun – and they also change how creators approach their work.

In traditional artistic creation, a piece often reflects the creator’s ego or soul. But if that ego shows through in a love doll, it might actually make the customer uncomfortable. Given the nature of the product, it’s better if the creator’s personal traits remain hidden. We’re making industrial products, not personal artworks – and that distinction is important.

If I only made what I liked, all the dolls would inevitably carry a “me-ness” and start to look alike. In that sense, our role is perhaps closer to a designer – creating something that aligns with the product concept rather than purely self-expression.

By deliberately erasing the individual creator’s fingerprints, the dolls become more adaptable to the customer’s preferences – they can be “dyed” in the customer’s color, so to speak. That may be the secret to why Orient Industry dolls are so widely loved.

Our dolls start out transparent, like blank slates, and are gradually colored by their owner’s personality. That’s why I believe they still hold untapped potential. For example, we could explore new directions like “party dolls” or doll-themed furniture. We can also collaborate with various art forms or commercial products. I hope to continue expanding these possibilities moving forward.

A Rare Chance to Sculpt for a Living

I started working at Orient Industry during my spring break before entering graduate school. For students at art universities, most part-time job options involve game or design work, or becoming a prep school tutor. It’s hard to find jobs that let you engage in sculpting.

I majored in sculpture, so when I saw a job listing on campus for “life-size mannequin sculpting,” I thought, “This is perfect – I can hone my skills, learn new things, and the studio is close to campus!” (laughs)

It wasn’t until the interview that I realized the job involved adult products. But at the time, I was really interested in working with resin-based sculpting techniques, and being at this company gave me access to new materials and information. The work environment was comfortable too, so after graduation, I didn’t feel like switching jobs – I just kept going, and here I am.

Even for someone with a background in sculpture, it’s difficult to find a career where you can truly apply those skills. That’s why I consider myself incredibly lucky to have found a role in love doll production. It’s a rare opportunity.