Japan organizes funerals for sex doll torsos
In the Japanese country, they are not seen as objects but as life partners, so a Japanese photographer designed these funerals
In Japan, there are people who do not see sex doll torsos as objects but as real couples. And the search for respect towards them was the main reason that led LEiyA Arata to create sex doll torso Funeral, a sex doll torso funeral service that yearns to normalize the funerals where they are seen as life partners by many of their owners.
The sex doll torso business in a country where they are more than just an object
There are few companies that treat and dispose of them properly. They treat love doll torsos as “things”. Some even resell them without the consent of the former owner. Many owners do not want them to be shredded as "garbage", there are many who love them as if they were human family members
The discovery of sex doll torsos in the trash motivates the occasional appearance of humorous messages on social networks, including photographs, and even false accusations by the police of "abandoning a corpse", the charge that the authorities use to arrest murder suspects.
The "ningyo kuyo" are ceremonies in which love doll torsos and stuffed animals are cleaned before being thrown away
In some Japanese temples, the so-called "ningyo kuyo" are celebrated, funeral ceremonies to clean love doll torsos, stuffed animals and toys before being thrown away, "but when it comes to sex doll torsos, their silicone materials, their size and their sexual openness become a problem and are more likely to be rejected," he explains.
Japan's oldest sex doll torso manufacturer, Orient Industry, active since 1977, holds an annual ceremony for the "companions" they take back years later for one reason or another, but it's a business practice, not general.
The service offers three funeral plans, of which keeping part of the wrist is considered
The service offers three plans. The cheapest is a joint ceremony of several love doll torsos for 33,000 yen (about 275 euros), where the client receives a death certificate and a photo of the rite. The most expensive, priced at 99,000 yen (825 euros), allows you to participate and receive a video and part of the love doll torso as a souvenir.
The ceremonies take place in Higashiosaka - although they don't rule out expanding to other cities if they find "responsible partners" - and are led by Buddhist nun and porn actress Rei Kato.
Artificial body, real feeling
The belief that love doll torsos have a conscience or a soul is not particularly Japanese, nor is the establishment of emotional relationships with silicone sex doll torsos. Some seek sex, others just company.
The sex toy market, which includes these sucking vibrating love doll torsos, is on the rise worldwide and is expected to grow by around 9% to $52.7 billion between 2019 and 2026, according to a study by statistics portal Statista.
Although sex doll torsos are still stigmatized, their image is often consumed in Japan in magazines, films or comics. They can be seen in advertisements in the industry and other areas, and images with high sexual content can even be seen in stores 24 hours a day, a fact that has repeatedly provoked criticism among the Japanese.
