Japanese artist Tsukimi Ayano knows the best way to make friends: by creating them herself.

It all started when Ayano, 67, moved back to the tiny, rural village of Nagoro on the island of Shikoku, where she was born and raised. Prior to that, she had been living in Osaka, Japan’s third-largest city, for the entirety of her adult life. (Travel to Osaka with National Geographic Expeditions.)

Since Ayano’s return to Nagoro she has made a unique contribution to the rapidly declining population there. She noticed that the village, which was once home to over 300 people, had dwindled down to a mere 35. After the passing of her father, Ayano decided to create a scarecrow in his vision,