Why Japanese Parents Are Sending Bags of Rice to Relatives Instead of Newborns (4 photos)
Just like in most parts of the world, when a baby is born in Japan, relatives usually visit to bring gifts and celebrate. However, pandemic restrictions and social distancing put a halt to home visits. In response, Japanese parents came up with a creative way to introduce their newborns to family. New parents are sending friends and relatives bags of rice that weigh exactly the same as their newborn child, complete with a photo of the baby attached. This way, relatives can get the feeling of holding the "baby" in their arms. 
An enterprising shop owner in Kitakyushu sells baby-shaped bags of rice tailored to match a newborn's birth weight. Each "rice baby" features a photo of the infant along with their weight. Sent directly to relatives, the packages allow family members to cradle the "newborn" while looking at their picture. 
The idea for "rice babies" first came to Naruo Ono 14 years ago when his son was born. His relatives lived far away and couldn't visit in person. He decided to fill a bag with rice to match his son's weight and attach a picture so his family could feel like they were holding the newborn. Eventually, a customer saw one of the bags in his shop window and loved the unique idea. Since then, Ono has been making custom "rice babies" and shipping them across Japan, inspiring several other companies to follow suit. 
The rice bags are meticulously weighed to match the newborn's exact birth weight. A 3.5 kg bag costs around 3,500 yen. 
While "rice babies" first appeared in Japan in the early 2000s, their popularity surged due to pandemic-era restrictions. The rice-bag infants give relatives a chance to celebrate with the new parents and welcome the newborn right from home.
Japan is known for its unique approaches to raising and educating children. For instance, Japanese schoolchildren are sometimes tasked with raising fish, only to face the tough decision of whether to eat them or release them into the ocean.
