doll appreciation fest 明治神宮人形祭 (harajuku, tokyo)

Posted by timothy sullivan (Tokyo, Japan) on 8 October 2008 in Lifestyle & Culture.

a "doll appreciation festival" (人形供養, ningyo kuyo) was held this past weekend (October 4-5) at Meiji Shrine (Meiji-jingu) in Harajuku, wherein people were able to place various kinds of old dolls, figures, and stuffed toys around the temple grounds--presumably to have the wee figurines infused with the temple's positive energy. hundreds of the keepsakes lined the temple's inner perimeter, adding two rather unique emotional dimensions. on a cursory view, seeing samurai and geisha dolls juxtaposed with Disney characters was quite something. looking into the reason as to why people chose these particular dolls was something quite different: each of them had belonged to departed loved ones--husbands, wives, and children. as my eyes toured around, I pondered the memories that must reside within each of the figures--and who might have cherished them.

(More about this festival at Japan Times)

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