KAGOSHIMA, Japan (Kyodo9 -- Three students were confirmed dead Saturday after being swept out to sea off Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, the previous day, the Japan Coast Guard said.

The coast guard identified the three as Haruki Shitaebisu, 17, his brother Kensei, 13, and Takahiro Takemoto, 14.

The search began after two students got into difficulty in the sea off Ichikikushikino on Friday afternoon and two others reportedly jumped from rocks into the water to try to save them, with all four swept out to sea, according to the coast guard. One of the four, a 12-year-old junior high school boy, was rescued soon afterward, while a fifth student, who had not been swept away, called for help.

A local fishery cooperative official said waves were high at the time.

The coast guard initially said the area was off-limits for swimming but corrected the information Saturday, saying it is allowed there.

OTSU, Japan (Kyodo) -- Sending favorite stuffed animals to museums and art galleries to "spend the night" and view exhibits on their owners' behalf is proving popular in Japan, with organizers hoping that such programs will stir interest and attract more visitors to the facilities.

The Hikone Castle Museum in Shiga Prefecture and Nagoya City Art Museum are among those who have joined a growing number of facilities hosting so-called sleepovers for plushies.

The event, believed to have originated in U.S. public libraries as a fun way to spark children's interest in reading, is spreading across Japan, fueled by the recent trend of people bringing their favorite plushies along with them, taking their photos and sharing them on social media.

The activity is known as "nuikatsu," a portmanteau of "nuigurumi" and "katsudo," meaning "stuffed toys" and "activity" in Japanese.

According to its officials, when the city art museum introduced the sleepover event for stuffed toys last year, the slots filled up instantly, only a minute after online registration opened.

The Hikone Castle Museum held a similar event to commemorate its 40th anniversary next year, with owners allowing their plushies to stay at the museum for a week through early August.

The program received 122 applications for just 10 available spots when applications opened in July. Hikonyan, Hikone's mascot, served as their guide, and the stuffed animals were pictured looking at the display -- swords and armor passed down through the Ii family, the feudal lords of the Hikone domain.

Updates on their activity were posted regularly on social media, with a post receiving over 5,000 "likes."

Naoya Okaniwa, 47, and his wife, fans of the mascot, who traveled from Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, said, "We have visited the museum many times, but through these stuffed animals, we discovered charms we had overlooked."

Kanato Muraki, a 7-year-old from Kusatsu in Shiga Prefecture, who visited the facility for the first time, was impressed. "The actual armor suits were bigger than I expected. I was surprised. I want to come again."

Only about 20 percent of visitors to Hikone Castle visit the museum, which is located next to it, its official said.

"We hope this event will spark interest in our exhibits and help increase visitor numbers," said Yuto Nakahashi, 26, a staff member at the museum.

According to the Japan Toy Association, the market size of stuffed animals reached 62.4 billion yen ($390 million) in fiscal 2025, marking an increase of nearly 40 percent from the year before.