It's almost time for the annual festival we have all been waiting for: the Hanaguri "cow nose ring" festival! Held on the third Sunday in April at the Hanaguri Zuka inside a temple in Okayama Prefecture, this is one of the more unusual religious ceremonies in Japan.
At this place are amassed nose rings from over 7 million cows. These nose rings, made from rubber and plastic of different colors, form a giant zuka (mound). In front of the zuka is a statue of a bronze cow looking out placidly, as if satisfied that he alone has pleased the palates of hundreds of humans. The bronze cow's nose is so worn from people petting it, it has taken on an envious polished smoothness.
During the ceremony, a priest prays for the souls of the cows who have passed into the bovine afterworld. It's kind of sad, but also comforting to know that the cows have not been forgotten even long after they have been digested and spat out the other end of the human body.
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