These cute little creatures are called teru-teru bozu. Around this time of the year you can see them hanging outside houses, and family-run stores. They are usually made by children who pray for sunny days. You see, it's almost the rainy season, and soon it will rain constantly for about 3 or 4 weeks. During that time teru-teru bozu acts like a anti-rain charm. They are said to bring clear skies.
Children make them out of cotton hankies and paper, and then sing this song:
Teru-teru-bozu, teru bozu
Make tomorrow a sunny day,
Like the sky in my dreams sometime.
If it's sunny I'll give you a golden bell
Teru-teru-bozu, teru bozu
Do make tomorrow a sunny day.
If you make my wish come true,
We'll drink lots of sweet sake
Teru-teru-bozu, teru bozu
Do make tomorrow a sunny day.
But if it's cloudy and the sky is crying,
I'll snip off your head!
Sometimes people will hang them in public of signs, or low cables in some kind of gentle act of guerrilla art. They are sometimes seen with an umbrella. And if they are hung upside down they are said to bring rain.
Here's the whole team. This was set up for a display selling umbrellas.
3 comments:
That makes so much sense. I think I remember something like that as a kid- but without the reference to rain.
nothings happened in japan in 9 days?
Sorry, man. Actually, a lot happened. There was a festival, lots of parties, and there's a vending machine that gets whatever I wish for the next day...
But I`ve been SUPER-busy...and I guess, SUPER-trashed the last 2 weeks.
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