What do you do when you want to throw away your toys, stuffs, and dolls?
Do you just throw them away with other trash or do you burn them in the garden?
In Japan, we have a unique rites called Ningyo kuyo; a doll memorial service.
Hōkyō-ji, known as “the Doll Temple”, stores a lot of traditional dolls and it opens only twice a year for doll exhibitions and holds Doll Memorial Service on October 14th.
You can find this ritual expresses Japanese spirits.
Why Japanese hold a memorial service for dolls?
The word “memorial service” is indicated as to pray and offer some foods for the dead or ancestors to rest in peace.
In Japan, people hold memorial service not only for animals like pets or items.
This is because an item used for a long time is believed to be a kind of spirit called “tsukumogami”.
The story goes that used items dumped by people in Heian era got mad and they said……
“How damn that we’ve been dedicated for people for a long time but they threw away without any gratitude. So we made up mind that we ask god to change us to monsters and revenge to them.”
The wish was accepted and they became tsukumogami.
It is said that tsukumogami fool around people and bring a disaster.
Therefore people get to bring them to a temple and hold a memorial service for expressing their gratitude.
Items made in the shape of a person means they are often treated differently than regular toys or stuffs because they are particularly capable of gaining a soul.
People in Kyoto bring dolls to Hōkyō-ji not to be a tsukumogami.
On the memorial day, people bring a few dolls and stuffs.
These items are burn and their ashes are buried at the grave for dolls.
After the buddhist service, a dance and song are performed by some women in traditional kimono.
【Information】
Address:
547 Dodo cho, Teranouchi dori,Horikawa Higashi iru, Kamigyo ku, Kyoto 602-0072
Access:
・1-minute walk from “Horikawa Teranouchi” bus stop on the Kyoto Bus #9 at Kyoto Station
・15-minute walk from “Imadegawa” or “Kuramaguchi” St. on the Subway Karasuma Line.
Event Date & Time:
October 14th, 10:30-12:00
*Dolls will be only accepted from 10:00 to 10:30 am on this day.
Admission Fee:
Free
Memorial Service for Items in Kyoto
Needle Memorial Service
A needle memorial service is annually held on December 8th and February 8th at Kokubo Horin-ji.
A lot of needles with five colors threads are put on konjac bed to thank them for their efforts!
People also pray for improvement of a needlework.
Cutting Tool Memorial Service
A cutting tool memorial service is annually held on November 11th at Yasaka Shrine.
People in beauty salons industry offer their used scissors and cutting tools.
Along with the word “cut” means people wish cutting their bad habits or relationships.
Used Book Memorial Service
A used book memorial service is annually held on October 31st at Hyakumanben Chion-in.
Many used books are sold for charity as a memorial service because of the thought that to finish reading equal to express gratitude.
We are surrounded by a lot of things or stuffs these days.
So we need to say “Thank you .” to the item we love and send off with love when we used it over.
Do you need more information?
You should receive such local information of Kyoto by an application “KoI APP”.
With this application, even if you don’t have Wi-Fi, you can find nearby stores and so on.
You can install the application from the following URL.
