“The Shinto religion has a belief that all things possess a spirit, including dolls, so they are made with “side-glancing” eyes, so they can’t look you in the eye and they have a ceremony to destroy unwanted dolls so the spirit cannot come back to do vengeance on the former doll owner. Today they have a Ningyo Kanshasai (Festival to Thank Dolls) to destroy unwanted dolls at the Meiji Shrine in Harajuku, Japan that takes place on the Sunday closest to October 15th and is held annually.
People all over Japan send dolls here when the dolls have outlived their usefulness as children’s toys. The dolls are displayed around the courtyard, and a ceremony is held to bless them for their work. The dolls are then disposed of. This is a good festival for the casual visitor: unique, yet not too many people.”
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