Hari-Kuyo - Japan's Unique Memorial Service For Broken Needles

Hari-Kuyo is a Japanese festival dedicated to old and broken needles. This festival sees hundreds of women dressed in colorful kimonos, gathering at various Shinto shrines or Buddhist temples in and around Tokyo.
This 400-year-old ritual involves sticking old and broken needles into soft chunks of tofu or jelly as a way of showing thanks for their hard work. It's not just about needles, several Japanese women consider Hari-Kuyo as a time to value the small, everyday objects of daily life that are otherwise forgotten.