TOKYO –
Around 38,000 dolls, together with conventional Japanese dolls and stuffed animals, had been delivered to Meiji Shrine in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward for the annual Doll Appreciation Festival, the place guests bid farewell to previous and broken dolls in a ceremony expressing gratitude for the years that they had been cherished.
The occasion, now in its thirty eighth yr, is a longstanding custom wherein folks convey dolls which have turn out to be worn out, damaged, or are not wanted to be ritually honored earlier than being disposed of.
Shinto clergymen carried out purification rituals for the dolls, whereas shrine maidens introduced a standard ceremonial dance as a part of the proceedings.
The pageant offers a possibility for house owners to specific their appreciation for dolls which have performed an necessary function of their lives, permitting them to say goodbye with gratitude somewhat than merely throwing them away.
The ceremony displays a Japanese custom of treating dolls and different cherished possessions with respect, recognizing the emotional connections folks develop with objects over time.
Source: テレ東BIZ