Table of Contents
History
In 1902, when the then US president Teddy Roosevelt participated in a bear-hunting trip in Mississippi, he refused to kill a bear, alleging “unsportsmanlike” behavior of his colleagues.
Flooded political cartoons starring “Teddy” and “the bear” inspired a Brooklyn shop owner named Morris Michtom and his wife to create plush, stuffed bears and placed them in the front window of their shop.
With permission from Roosevelt, Michtom named the bears “Teddy bears.” which became an instant success.
But soft toys have a different level of popularity in Japan where they became an integral part of society.
Kuromi, the cheeky, punky yet cute soft toy, Hida Takayama Teddy Bear Museum, Sonoe Azuma founded Unagi Travel, which offers a worldwide trip for the Teddy bears and many such unique things that make Japan a Teddy country. But why?
In 2011, Kenneth Tai[1]and many follow-up studies showed that a teddy hug helps to reduce depression. Teddys provide comfort in loneliness. The proof is in Japan where the Suicide rate is declining from 34000 in 2005 to about 20000 a year in 2018.
If you are planning for a Christmas gift, why not the soft, cute, lovable, and huggable Teddy Bears? They may help someone fight depression.
Spread love and hug. A happy festive season ahead.
References
[1]Tai, Kenneth, Xue Zheng, and Jayanth Narayanan. “Touching a teddy bear mitigates the negative effects of social exclusion to increase prosocial behavior.” Social Psychological and Personality Science 2.6 (2011): 618-626.
[2]Smirnova, E. O. “Psychological and educational evaluation of toys in Moscow Center of Play and Toys.” Psychological Science and Education 2011.2 (2011): 5-10.
[3]Sumioka, Hidenobu, et al. “Huggable communication medium decreases cortisol levels.” Scientific Reports 3 (2013): 3034.
[4]https://www.wonderopolis.org/wonder/how-did-the-teddy-bear-get-its-name
[5]https://yumetwins.com/news/sanrio-kuromi
[6]https://nerdnomads.com/takayama_teddy_bear_museum
[7]https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewbender/2015/12/17/this-holiday-send-your-stuffed-animal-on-a-luxury-vacation-overseas/
