'Dearpet' Provides Comprehensive Support for Pet Memorial Services
Dearpet, a pet memorial service, held its first 'Rabbit Memorial Festival' to cater to the growing number of people keeping rabbits as family pets and to support them through pet loss.
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- 📰 Published: April 15, 2026 at 20:59
- 🔍 Collected: April 15, 2026 at 12:31
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April 15, 2026
In Loving Memory Co., Ltd.
* Chief Priest Yokota delivering a dharma talk at the rabbit memorial festival
'Dearpet', which comprehensively supports pet memorial services (operated by In Loving Memory Co., Ltd., Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, President and CEO: Takeshi Nibe), held the first 'Uzuki Prayer: Rabbit Memorial Festival', a rare memorial festival dedicated to 'rabbits' nationwide, on Saturday, April 11, 2026.
April, referred to as 'Uzuki' (Month of the Rabbit) in the lunar calendar, is a season that evokes rabbits through the character 'U' (rabbit) and the Easter Bunny. Aligning with this season, we held this memorial festival as a place to deliver thoughts to the rabbits who have crossed the Rainbow Bridge.
The memorial festival was held at Dearpet Tokyo, with many people attending both at the venue and online. Prayers were offered to the rabbits who journeyed to the Rainbow Bridge. It drew significant interest as a memorial festival 'exclusively for rabbits', reaching capacity shortly after registration opened.
In recent years, as more people welcome rabbits as precious family members, this memorial festival served as an opportunity to empathize with the feelings of many as a place to carefully see off their departure.
■ Pets as 'Irreplaceable Family' ── The Spread of Pet Loss and the Need for Receptacles
In recent years, pets have come to be accepted as 'family living together.' On the other hand, social understanding and care spaces for pet loss are still insufficient. Dearpet has regularly held memorial festivals for dogs and cats, providing a place where families can 'give a proper send-off'.
While official statistics on the number of pet rabbits kept are limited, the number of pet insurance contracts at Anicom General Insurance has increased by approximately 6.4 times, from 3,384 in FY2015 to 21,604 in FY2020 (*).
Against this backdrop, along with a growing interest in memorializing rabbits, the desire to carefully see off their departure has also spread, which is why we held a memorial festival 'exclusively for rabbits' for the first time.
Through this initiative, we hope that ways of mourning that empathize with various animals and their families will spread, becoming an opportunity to confront pet loss.
* From Anicom General Insurance Co., Ltd. 'Annual Survey on Pets (2022)'
https://www.anicom-sompo.co.jp/news-release/2022/20221227/
■ Figures Shedding Silent Tears ── The Role as a 'Place to Deliver Thoughts'
On the day of the event, while photos of the rabbits were projected on a screen, sutra chanting and a dharma talk were given by Chief Priest Yokota, and the memorial service proceeded in a solemn atmosphere.
In addition, participants wrote their thoughts on rabbit-themed Easter eggs and offered them; the messages will be ritually burned at a later date. Participants were seen putting their hands together while looking at photos and quietly shedding tears, making it a moment to reflect on the time spent with their precious beings.
■ Beyond Pet Loss ── Dearpet's Initiatives
Dearpet has comprehensively supported families facing pet loss, not just by providing Buddhist altars and fittings for pets, but also through guiding cremation and memorial methods, and holding ceremonies.
Our goal for memorial services is not to force people to overcome their sorrow, but to accompany the process where those feelings eventually turn into gratitude. That is the form of memorial service we aim for.
* Many message cards gathered at Dearpet stores and events
* View of the altar. Writing thoughts on Easter eggs and offering them
■ Event Overview (Implementation Details)
Name: The 1st 'Uzuki Prayer: Rabbit Memorial Festival'
Date: Saturday, April 11, 2026
Venue: Dearpet Tokyo Ceremony Room (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo)
Participation Format: Venue Participation / Online Participation
Contents: Sutra chanting / Dharma talk / Photo projection / Message offering & Ritual burning, etc.
Chief Priest Harumasa Yokota: Chief Priest of Chofukuji Temple, Soto Sect, in Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture. An animal-loving monk who became a monk at the age of 27 with the desire to chant sutras for pets to memorialize them.
■ Company Overview
Company Name: In Loving Memory Co., Ltd.
Location: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Established: 2002
■ Business Operations
Dearpet (Comprehensive Pet Memorial Service): https://inlovingme
In Loving Memory Co., Ltd.
* Chief Priest Yokota delivering a dharma talk at the rabbit memorial festival
'Dearpet', which comprehensively supports pet memorial services (operated by In Loving Memory Co., Ltd., Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, President and CEO: Takeshi Nibe), held the first 'Uzuki Prayer: Rabbit Memorial Festival', a rare memorial festival dedicated to 'rabbits' nationwide, on Saturday, April 11, 2026.
April, referred to as 'Uzuki' (Month of the Rabbit) in the lunar calendar, is a season that evokes rabbits through the character 'U' (rabbit) and the Easter Bunny. Aligning with this season, we held this memorial festival as a place to deliver thoughts to the rabbits who have crossed the Rainbow Bridge.
The memorial festival was held at Dearpet Tokyo, with many people attending both at the venue and online. Prayers were offered to the rabbits who journeyed to the Rainbow Bridge. It drew significant interest as a memorial festival 'exclusively for rabbits', reaching capacity shortly after registration opened.
In recent years, as more people welcome rabbits as precious family members, this memorial festival served as an opportunity to empathize with the feelings of many as a place to carefully see off their departure.
■ Pets as 'Irreplaceable Family' ── The Spread of Pet Loss and the Need for Receptacles
In recent years, pets have come to be accepted as 'family living together.' On the other hand, social understanding and care spaces for pet loss are still insufficient. Dearpet has regularly held memorial festivals for dogs and cats, providing a place where families can 'give a proper send-off'.
While official statistics on the number of pet rabbits kept are limited, the number of pet insurance contracts at Anicom General Insurance has increased by approximately 6.4 times, from 3,384 in FY2015 to 21,604 in FY2020 (*).
Against this backdrop, along with a growing interest in memorializing rabbits, the desire to carefully see off their departure has also spread, which is why we held a memorial festival 'exclusively for rabbits' for the first time.
Through this initiative, we hope that ways of mourning that empathize with various animals and their families will spread, becoming an opportunity to confront pet loss.
* From Anicom General Insurance Co., Ltd. 'Annual Survey on Pets (2022)'
https://www.anicom-sompo.co.jp/news-release/2022/20221227/
■ Figures Shedding Silent Tears ── The Role as a 'Place to Deliver Thoughts'
On the day of the event, while photos of the rabbits were projected on a screen, sutra chanting and a dharma talk were given by Chief Priest Yokota, and the memorial service proceeded in a solemn atmosphere.
In addition, participants wrote their thoughts on rabbit-themed Easter eggs and offered them; the messages will be ritually burned at a later date. Participants were seen putting their hands together while looking at photos and quietly shedding tears, making it a moment to reflect on the time spent with their precious beings.
■ Beyond Pet Loss ── Dearpet's Initiatives
Dearpet has comprehensively supported families facing pet loss, not just by providing Buddhist altars and fittings for pets, but also through guiding cremation and memorial methods, and holding ceremonies.
Our goal for memorial services is not to force people to overcome their sorrow, but to accompany the process where those feelings eventually turn into gratitude. That is the form of memorial service we aim for.
* Many message cards gathered at Dearpet stores and events
* View of the altar. Writing thoughts on Easter eggs and offering them
■ Event Overview (Implementation Details)
Name: The 1st 'Uzuki Prayer: Rabbit Memorial Festival'
Date: Saturday, April 11, 2026
Venue: Dearpet Tokyo Ceremony Room (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo)
Participation Format: Venue Participation / Online Participation
Contents: Sutra chanting / Dharma talk / Photo projection / Message offering & Ritual burning, etc.
Chief Priest Harumasa Yokota: Chief Priest of Chofukuji Temple, Soto Sect, in Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture. An animal-loving monk who became a monk at the age of 27 with the desire to chant sutras for pets to memorialize them.
■ Company Overview
Company Name: In Loving Memory Co., Ltd.
Location: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Established: 2002
■ Business Operations
Dearpet (Comprehensive Pet Memorial Service): https://inlovingme