At the Dairokuten Sakaki Shrine in Tokyo, Shinto priests are helping families say a final farewell to their beloved dolls.
As representatives from a traditional Japanese doll company clap their hands in prayer, the priests symbolically release the spirits associated with the dolls, offering prayers for the health of their owners and families.
It is a ritual that honours the long-cherished toys and helps owners let go.
Many of them are elaborate dolls dressed in brightly-coloured kimonos, some of which have been in families for more than 100 years, but next to them, you can find ordinary children’s toys such as Snoopy and plush cats.
Prayers are then made over doll-shaped paper talismans, which are burned in place of the dolls.
The paper turns to gray ash, but the memories and the dolls remain as vivid as yesterday. — AP
