Oriculi, earpick with origami crane decoration, ORIZURU, red or black

Japanese scratch with origami crane, ORIZURU, black or red, made in Japan

In Japan, ear scrubbing is an ancestral rite, practiced initially in families. Called mimikaki (from mimi, "ear", and persimmon, "cleaning"), it would have started in the Edo period and was adopted by the majority of Japanese for a physiological reason. Most of them have dry, crumbly, not greasy, damp ear wax like that of Caucasians.
Originally a family activity, this ear cleaning has become a lucrative activity. Practicing in institutes, private salons, hostess bars or maid cafes, the practice has been liberalized since 2005, the year when the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Affairs suppressed the law which imposed a medical diploma for ear scrubbing.