Japanese parents are sending relatives rice bags in place of newborn babies to hug and bless

In a rare development, parents of newborn babies in Japan are sending bags of rice that weigh the same as their newborn babies to relatives who are unable to visit them due to the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.

The bags come in various designs. Some bags are shaped like a baby wrapped in a blanket so that relatives can feel as though they are hugging the new arrival while looking at a picture of their face, which has been attached in the front.

The amount of rice in the bag is matched to the newborn’s birth weight. Accordingly, the price increases in parallel with the size of the baby. Some firms charge one yen a gram, with a 3.5kg pack priced 3,500 yen.

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Naruo Ono, the owner of Kome no Zoto Yoshimiya rice shop, was quoted by The Guardian as saying, "I first had the idea about 14 years ago when my own son was born and I was thinking about what I could do for relatives who lived far away and couldn’t come and see him. So we decided to make bags of rice that were the same weight and shape as the baby, so relatives could hold them and feel the cuteness".

Ono further added, "In the case of the wedding celebration goods, the bride and groom give them to the respective parents with their pictures on them from when they were babies as a way of showing appreciation for giving birth to them".