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When Japanese Twitter user Yuta Yoshida (@yutatatatata recently visited the Tohashira Shrine located near their family home in Hyogo prefecture, they may have found the cutest and most charming mascot ringing in the New Year yet: a charming mouse sculpture crafted from rice straw by local elderly residents that seems to be ushering visitors into the shrine.
Source: @yutatatatata
Source: @yutatatatata
As shown below, each new year the shrine displays of a beautifully crafted Chinese zodiac animal. As 2020 is the Year of the Rat (or mouse, given that that Japanese word "nezumi" can be used for either), a volunteer group of local senior citizens banded together once more to expertly build the shrine's new rodent guardian. The construction and design effort was led by 76-year old Shun Nonaka, and Yoshida writes that the gorgeously woven animals have been increasing hatsumoude (first shrine visit of the New Year) pilgrimages every year.
Source: @yutatatatata
Hopefully the coming years bring even more awesome straw animal structures.