World’s First Shrine for Stuffed Animals Opens in Kyoto

Jun 23, 2026 | News On Japan

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.

ぬいぐるみを祀る世界初の神社が京都に創建

ぬいぐるみを祀る神社としては世界初とみられる「ぬいぐるみ神社」が6月20日、京都府南丹市に創建され、持ち主が大切なぬいぐるみに感謝の気持ちを伝えたり、役目を終えたぬいぐるみを供養したりできる場となっている。

全球首座供奉毛绒玩具的神社在京都建成

一座被认为是全球首个供奉毛绒玩具的神社于6月20日在京都府南丹市建成，为主人提供一个向心爱的毛绒玩具表达感谢，并为完成使命的毛绒玩具举行供养仪式的场所。

Source: MBS

Typhoon No. 7 (Mekkhala) Intensifies as It Tracks Toward Japan

Typhoon No. 7 (Mekkhala) was continuing north with very strong intensity as of 6 p.m. on June 22, with forecasters warning that a rainy-season front already stalled near Japan and a newly formed tropical depression to the south could combine to increase the risk of heavy rain in western and eastern Japan while making the typhoon’s track after the weekend highly uncertain. The immediate concern is not only the typhoon itself, but the way its warm, moist air is expected to interact with the rainy-season front near Japan. Even if the main body of the storm remains some distance away, moisture drawn northward around the typhoon could flow into the front and make rain clouds more active, creating conditions for heavy rain or prolonged rainfall.

Japan Moves to Ease Thinner Shortage as Naphtha Shock Hits Builders

Japan will begin a new system on June 23 to sell paint and thinner directly from manufacturers to construction firms and other businesses, aiming to ease supply bottlenecks and curb price increases as worsening conditions in the Middle East make such materials harder to obtain.

Three Bear Cubs Seen Climbing Tree Putting Town on Alert

Three bear cubs were spotted climbing a tree in Hirogawa, Wakayama Prefecture, on the morning of June 22, prompting the town to put up warning signs and call on residents to stay alert, although no injuries or damage have been reported.

Risk Of Major Mosquito Outbreak This Summer

Mosquitoes are appearing earlier than usual this year, raising fears of a major summer outbreak as experts warn that warm May weather and repeated light rain have created ideal breeding conditions across residential areas.

Bears Growing More Aggressive in June and July

Bear attacks and sightings are increasing across Japan, with multiple people injured on June 17 and experts warning that bears are becoming more accustomed to human environments, potentially leading to more dangerous and unpredictable encounters in the years ahead.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

World’s First Shrine for Stuffed Animals Opens in 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.

Ringleader Admits Charges in Killing of Restaurant Owner and Wife

The first trial of two men accused of killing restaurant owner Ryutaro Takarajima and his wife, Sachiko, began at the Tokyo District Court on June 22, with the 30-year-old defendant described as a directing figure admitting the charges, while the other defendant acknowledged involvement but argued that he was only an accessory.

Emperor And Empress Join Photo Shoot With Belgian Royal Family

Japan's Emperor and Empress appeared before the press with the Belgian royal family during their official visit to Belgium, joining King Philippe, Queen Mathilde and their children for a commemorative photograph at the royal residence of Ciergnon Castle.

Hokkaido Horse Town Welcomes Indian Workers

Urakawa, a Hokkaido town of about 10,000 people known as one of Japan's leading thoroughbred breeding centers, is seeing a rapid increase in Indian residents as local farms turn to experienced overseas workers to offset a shrinking pool of Japanese horse trainers.

Body of Man Found in Freezer at Kobe Apartment

A damaged and badly decomposed body of an adult man was found inside a large freezer near the entrance of a locked apartment in Kobe on June 20, prompting police to investigate the case as a possible crime.

Japan's Imperial Couple Rekindle Ties With Dutch Royal Family

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, on a state visit to the Netherlands, reunited with Princess Catharina-Amalia, the Dutch princess who was photographed holding hands with Princess Aiko 20 years ago, in a visit that highlighted the long friendship between the Japanese imperial family and the Dutch royal house.

Tokyo Elementary School Fire Injures 11 Pupils And Teachers

Eleven pupils and teachers were injured after a fire broke out at Takinogawa Daisan Elementary School in Tokyo's Kita Ward at around 11 a.m. on June 19, forcing more than 300 children to evacuate and briefly trapping several pupils on a narrow ledge outside a fourth-floor classroom.

Cargo Ship Runs Aground Off Toshima

A cargo ship carrying vehicles from Osaka to Tokyo ran aground off Toshima in the Izu Islands before dawn on June 19, creating an unusual scene in which a large freighter appeared to have docked at a part of the island with no port.

< 2 3 4 5 >