KYOTO - A shrine believed to be the world’s first dedicated to stuffed animals was established on June 20 in Nantan, Kyoto Prefecture, giving owners a place to express gratitude for beloved plush toys and hold memorial rites for those that have finished their role.
The new Nuigurumi Shrine opened in Miyama, a district of Nantan, with a wooden torii gate fitted with ears and worship hall windows shaped like bears.
The shrine was created by a company that repairs stuffed animals. With some plush toys eventually reaching a point where repairs are no longer possible, the company said it wanted to create a place where owners could give thanks to the stuffed animals that had supported them over the years.
Visitors can bring their favorite stuffed animals to pray at the shrine, while plush toys that have completed their role can be memorialized there.
"I hope people of all ages, from children to adults, will visit and that together we can nurture a warm spirit of kindness and compassion," said Komichi Horiguchi, who led the creation of the shrine.
People visiting the shrine with stuffed animals in hand said the site felt approachable despite being a shrine. "It has become a place that is easy to feel close to," one woman said. "I think it is a place that soothes the heart."
The shrine also plans to build a dedicated facility to store the ashes of stuffed animals after memorial burning rites, a plush-toy version of an ossuary.
Source: MBS
