Teru Teru Bouzu

Teru Teru Bouzu-てるてる坊主 is a familiar doll that often appears in many famous Japanese movies and manga, which everyone must know.

Dec 25, 2022 - 09:38
Feb 3, 2023 - 08:41
Teru Teru Bouzu

In Japanese, Teru means sunny, Bouzu means priest, with the meaning as a kind of charm for good weather.

The Japanese often hang them on the window at night in the hope that the next day will be sunny. If it rains, hang Teru Teru Bouzu with the hope that the rain will stop faster. And to pray for rain, people often hang them upside down, pointing the doll's head to the ground.

Teru Teru Bouzu has been popular since the Edo period, and was hung by children in Japanese cities at that time in front of the classroom, bedroom or front porch. Teru Teru Bouzu dolls are usually made of white paper or fabric.

The method is also very simple. Take a cloth or cotton ball and roll it into a small round ball. Place the block in the center of a piece of white cloth or paper and tie it together with a string. To make the face for Teru Teru Bouzu, you can use embroidery thread or  pen to draw evenly.

The origin of Teru Teru Bozu is still very vague, but people often say that in the olden days in a certain village it rained heavily for many days without stopping, at that time there was a monk who promises to make it stop raining and bring back light.

However, because he could not keep his promise, the monk was punished. It is said that the monk's head was then wrapped in cloth and hung outside to block the rain and bring in the sun. It must be a very sad history.

--------------------------
Injavi.com - Visit in Japan

Injavi 編集部 "InJavi" is a website that provides information for foreigners to enjoy life and visit in Japan more smoothly. This website is easy to use even for first-timers to Japan and those who are not very good at Japanese, and supports multiple languages. 「InJavi」は、外国人が日本の生活や観光をよりスムーズに楽しむための情報を提供するウェブサイトです。 初めて日本を訪れる方や日本語が苦手な方でも使いやすい、多言語対応サイトです。