Rescue services were scrambled to Hachinohe in northeastern Honshu, Japan, after reports of a “drowned woman” floating in the waters.

But Japanese YouTuber Tanaka Natsuki, who happened to be on the scene to record a clip for her channel, witnessed the "rescue" of what turned out to be a "Dutch Wife", Japanese slang for a rubber sex doll.

"While I was filming for my fishing video, I thought that a corpse had come floating by, but it turned out to be a Dutch wife," she posted on Twitter

"It seems someone misunderstood what it was and called the authorities, so a ton of police, fire trucks, and ambulances showed up. Thankfully the 'wife' was safely rescued. Nice."

Another social media user who witnessed the bizarre "rescue" added: "It’s funny for sure, but not fun for the emergency services. Dispose of your garbage properly, people!"

In fact, there is a more respectful way to dispose of unwanted sex dolls than dumping them in the sea.

The Human Love Doll Company, a Japanese company whose slogan is "love dolls are born to be loved", offers a full funeral service for dolls that are no longer needed.

Complete with funeral rites led by Japanese monk and actress Rei Kato, the services cost upwards of 50,000 Yen (about £320).

For "Dutch Wife" owners that really care about their deceased sex dolls, reports Japan Today, the luxury 90,000-Yen package allows the bereaved to attend the ceremony, a special letter to be read to the doll as she is buried, and one part of the doll to be removed and given to the owner as a keepsake.

In Japanese culture, it’s not uncommon to believe dolls and stuffed toys have souls just like humans, so it’s considered bad luck to just throw out unwanted sex robots.

It can also be embarrassing, as in some cases the rejected dolls have been misidentified as murder victims and sparked a major police response.

There’s no word on whether the owner of the item that washed up in Hachinohe Bay has been visited by Japanese police, either in connection with wasting police time or fly-tipping.

Source: Read Full Article