Lee Chapman at Tokyo Times has an amusing post about blowup dolls in Japan, which are called "Dutch wives" there. (No, he doesn't know why, either.) But what really caught my attention was this bit at the end:
First, whaaaa? Second, whuh? Third, how strange and wonderful must it be to live in a country with a tradition of animistic religion.[F]or any unwanted Dutch wives, the company [that makes them] will discreetly take them back free of charge. And rather than just throw them away, twice a year it has a Buddhist memorial service, where the souls of the dolls are consecrated.
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