Angelika Kretschmer

In Japan, rites of separation are performed not only for human beings and animals, but also for inanimate objects. In most cases, the term used for these rites is kuyo. This is the Japanese translation of the Sanskrit puja or pujana, which means “to bring offerings.”

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For Chikuden, the brushes were an extension of his own physical self, invested with his creative energy. Because they were not just ordinary objects, they merited special attention at the end of their useful life.

Source: Japanese Journal of Religious Studies, Fall, 2000, Vol. 27, No. 3/4, Mortuary Rites in Japan (Fall, 2000), pp. 379-404. Republished here with thanks.