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'''''Teru teru bozu''''' ([[Japanese language|Japanese]]: てるてるぼうず; "shiny-shiny Buddhist priest"<ref>"Literally means "shiny-shiny Buddhist priest". They are paper dolls made by school children before going on school excursions as a charm for fine weather." [http://www.htia.org/e/info/keywords2.html]</ref>)) is a little traditional hand-made doll made of white paper or cloth that [[Japan]]ese farmers began hanging outside of their window by a string. This [[amulet]] is supposed to have magical powers to bring good weather and to stop or prevent a rainy day. "Teru" is a Japanese verb which describes sunshine, and a "bōzu" is a [[Buddhist]] monk (compare the word [[wikt:Bonze|bonze]]). |
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A {{Nihongo||てるてる坊主 {{lang|en|or}} 照る照る坊主|'''''teru teru bōzu'''''|{{lit|shine, shine monk}}|lead=yes}} is a small traditional handmade doll hung outside doors and windows in Japan in hope of sunny weather. Made from [[tissue paper]] or [[cloth]], ''teru teru bōzu'' [[Talisman|charms]] are usually white, [[ghost]]-like figures with strings tied around their necks.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Salupen |first=Mark |date=2019-08-03 |title=Understanding 'teru teru bōzu,' the ghost-like charms in 'Weathering With You' |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2019/08/03/language/understanding-teru-teru-bozu-ghost-like-charms-feature-weathering/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210306101626/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2019/08/03/language/understanding-teru-teru-bozu-ghost-like-charms-feature-weathering/ |archive-date=2021-03-06 |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=[[The Japan Times]] |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Kazemi |first=Anisa |date=2022-06-15 |title=Japanese Traditions: Teru Teru Bozu |url=https://savvytokyo.com/japanese-traditions-teru-teru-bozu/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240531162254/https://savvytokyo.com/japanese-traditions-teru-teru-bozu/ |archive-date=2024-05-31 |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=Savvy Tokyo |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=McGee |first=Oona |date=2016-06-21 |title=What is Teru Teru Bozu? The tragic history behind the Japanese fine weather doll |url=https://soranews24.com/2016/06/21/what-is-teru-teru-bozu-the-tragic-history-behind-the-japanese-fine-weather-doll/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240531162251/https://soranews24.com/2016/06/21/what-is-teru-teru-bozu-the-tragic-history-behind-the-japanese-fine-weather-doll/ |archive-date=2024-05-31 |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=SoraNews24 |language=en-US}}</ref> |
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''Teruteru bozus'' became popular during the [[Edo period]] among urban dwellers<ref name="jstor"> |
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[http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0011-3204%28198708%2F10%2928%3A4%3CS13%3AWWAE%3E2.0.CO%3B2-J "Weather Watching and Emperorship"], by [[Noboru Miyata]]. In ''Current Anthropology'', Vol. 28, No. 4, Supplement: An Anthropological Profile of Japan. (Aug. - Oct., 1987), pp. S13-S18. Provided by ''[[JSTOR]]''.</ref>, whose children would make them the day before the good weather was desired and chant "Fine-weather priest, please let the weather be good tomorrow."<ref name="jstor"/> |
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The words ''teru'' {{Nihongo|2=照る|4=}} meaning 'to shine' and ''bōzu'' {{Nihongo|2=坊主|4=}} referring to a [[Buddhist monk]], the doll is said to represent a monk's bald head, which would shine during sunny weather. The doll therefore calls to a monk's magical powers to stop or prevent rain.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> Traditionally, if the weather does turn out well, a [[libation]] of holy [[sake]] is poured over them, and they are washed away in the river.<ref>''[[Daijirin]]''</ref><ref>''[[Kōjien]]''</ref>{{Full citation needed|date=August 2015}} |
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Today, children make ''teru-teru-bōzu'' out of [[tissue paper]] or [[cotton]] and string and hang them from a window to wish for sunny weather, often before a school picnic day. Hanging it upside down - with its head pointing downside - acts like a prayer for rain. They are still a very common sight in Japan. |
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In particular, ''teru teru bōzu'' charms are popular among Japanese children, who are introduced to the charms in kindergarten or daycare through [[Warabe uta#Teru-teru-bōzu|a famous ''warabe uta'' (nursery rhyme) released in 1921]]. {{Cspan|text=Written by Kyōson Asahara and composed by [[Shinpei Nakayama]],|date=May 2024}} the song calls ''teru teru bōzu'' to bring back the sunny days, promising lots of [[sake]] if the wish is fulfilled, but [[decapitation]] if not. The nursery rhyme is usually sung by children as they make the doll.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> |
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There is a famous [[warabe uta]], or Japanese [[nursery rhyme]], associated with ''teru teru bozu'': |
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<blockquote> |
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Teru-teru-bōzu, teru bōzu<br> |
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Ashita tenki ni shite o-kure<br> |
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Itsuka no yume no sora no yo ni<br> |
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Haretara kin no suzu ageyo<br> |
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Teru-teru-bōzu, teru bōzu<br> |
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Ashita tenki ni shite o-kure<br> |
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Watashi no negai wo kiita nara<br> |
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Amai o-sake wo tanto nomasho<br> |
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Teru-teru-bōzu, teru bōzu<br> |
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Ashita tenki ni shite o-kure<br> |
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Sore de mo kumotte naitetara<br> |
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Sonata no kubi wo chon to kiru zo<br> |
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</blockquote> |
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''Teru teru bōzu'' became popular during the [[Edo period]] among urban dwellers, whose children would make them the day before the good weather was desired and chant, "Fine-weather priest, please let the weather be good tomorrow."<ref name="jstor">{{cite journal | title=Weather Watching and Emperorship | author=Miyata, Noboru | journal=Current Anthropology |date=August 1987 | volume=28 | issue=4 | pages=S13–S18 | doi=10.1086/203572 | jstor=2743422 | issn=0011-3204| doi-access=free }}</ref> |
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<blockquote> |
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Teru-teru-bozu, teru bozu<br> |
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Do make tomorrow a sunny day<br> |
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Like the sky in a dream sometime<br> |
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If it's sunny I'll give you a golden bell<br> |
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Teru-teru-bozu, teru bozu<br> |
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Do make tomorrow a sunny day<br> |
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If you make my wish come true<br> |
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We'll drink lots of ''[[sake]]''<br> |
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Teru-teru-bozu, teru bozu<br> |
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Do make tomorrow a sunny day<br> |
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but if it's cloudy and I find you crying<br> |
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Then I shall chop your head off<br> |
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</blockquote> |
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== History == |
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Like many [[nursery rhyme]]s, this song is supposed to have a darker history than it first appears. It allegedly originated from a story of a monk who promised farmers to stop rain and bring clear weather during a prolonged period of rain which was ruining crops. When the monk failed to bring sunshine, he was executed. |
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The tradition of weather-watchers and a rich folk culture of ''hiyorimi'' {{Nihongo|2=日和見}} can be traced with certainty to the [[Heian period]] (749–1185) continuing through the [[Edo period]] (1603–1867). ''Teru teru bōzu'' weather-watching practice tradition originated and was adapted from a Chinese practice during the Heian period. The practice, called ''saoqing niang'' ({{Zh|t=|labels=no|c=掃晴娘}}) in China, involved putting the ''teru teru bōzu'' on the end of a broom to sweep good spirits your way, and rather than ''bōzu'' being a monk, but a young girl with a broom.<ref name=":3">''O-Lex Japanese–English Dictionary'', Obunsha, 2008. pp. 1681—2.</ref> As the story unfolds, a girl was sacrificed to save the city during a heavy rainfall by ascending symbolically to the heavens and sweeping rain clouds from the sky. Since then, the people have commemorated her by making paper cutouts of her and hanging them outdoors in the hopes of good weather.{{Cn|date=December 2023}} |
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''Teru teru bōzu'' as a Japanese practice seems to have originated from the similarity between [[origami]] dolls and names described in the literature in the middle of the Edo period. A reference to ''teru teru bōzu'' is written in ''Kiyū Shōran'' {{Nihongo|2=嬉遊笑覧}} by Nobuyo Kitamura, a scholar of Japanese classical literature in 1830. It is written, "If the weather becomes fine, I write my pupils on the paper, offer ''sake'' to the gods, and pour it into the river."<ref name=":3" /> |
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==Teru teru bozu in fiction== |
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* In the ending theme of the [[anime]] [[Haré+Guu|Jungle wa Itsumo Hare Nochi Guu Final]] the main character sings a ''teru teru bozu'' rhyme. |
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* The design of the [[kaiju]] [[Nova]] from the television series [[Ultraman Leo]] (and later revived in [[Ultraman Mebius]]) is based on the ''teru teru bozu''. |
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* In the manga 20th Century Boys, a couple of kids going through a "test of courage" encounter a giant teru teru bozu on a stairwell. |
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* In the movie [[Ima Ai Ni Yukimasu]], the ''teru teru bozu'' was used by Yuji to prolong the rainy season in hope of spending more time with his mother. |
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* In the video game "Tokyo Extreme Racer: Drift 2" ; teru teru bozu dolls can be bought and equipped to change the weather for the next track day. |
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== |
== See also == |
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{{Portal|Japan}} |
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<references/> |
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*[[Ikeda, Nagano]] – a town in [[Nagano Prefecture]], Japan, whose [[mascot]] is designed in the motif of ''teru teru bōzu''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-09-25 |title=てるみん・ふ～みん |url=https://www.yurugp.jp/jp/vote/detail.php?id=00000481 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210117215134/https://www.yurugp.jp/jp/vote/detail.php?id=00000481 |archive-date=2021-01-17 |access-date=2020-09-25 |website=ゆるキャラグランプリ2020 |language=ja}}</ref> |
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== References == |
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{{reflist}} |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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* {{Commons-inline}} |
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* [http://jscms.jrn.columbia.edu/cns/2006-03-14/stokes-superstitiousscientists] |
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* [https://japanesemythology.wordpress.com/tracking-down-the-origins-of-the-teru-teru-bozu-%E3%81%A6%E3%82%8B%E3%81%A6%E3%82%8B%E5%9D%8A%E4%B8%BB-sunshine-doll-tradition/ Tracking down the origins of the teru teru bozu (てるてる坊主) sunshine doll tradition] |
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* [http://hyakumonogatari.com/2011/12/22/what-are-teruteru-bozu/ What are Teruteru Bōzu?] |
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{{japan-myth-stub}} |
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[[Category:Japanese folklore]] |
[[Category:Japanese folklore]] |
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[[Category:Japanese dolls]] |
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[[Category:Amulets]] |
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[[Category:Talismans]] |
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[[ja:てるてる坊主]] |
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[[Category:Shinto]] |
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[[no:Teru teru bozu]] |
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[[Category:Buddhist religious objects]] |
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[[th:ตุ๊กตาไล่ฝน]] |
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[[Category:Religious objects]] |
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[[zh:晴天娃娃]] |
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[[Category:Shinto religious objects]] |
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[[Category:Superstitions of Japan]] |
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[[Category:Eastern esotericism]] |
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[[Category:Japanese words and phrases]] |
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Latest revision as of 19:37, 22 November 2024
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (August 2015) |
A teru teru bōzu (Japanese: てるてる坊主 or 照る照る坊主, lit. 'shine, shine monk') is a small traditional handmade doll hung outside doors and windows in Japan in hope of sunny weather. Made from tissue paper or cloth, teru teru bōzu charms are usually white, ghost-like figures with strings tied around their necks.[1][2][3]
The words teru (照る) meaning 'to shine' and bōzu (坊主) referring to a Buddhist monk, the doll is said to represent a monk's bald head, which would shine during sunny weather. The doll therefore calls to a monk's magical powers to stop or prevent rain.[2][3] Traditionally, if the weather does turn out well, a libation of holy sake is poured over them, and they are washed away in the river.[4][5][full citation needed]
In particular, teru teru bōzu charms are popular among Japanese children, who are introduced to the charms in kindergarten or daycare through a famous warabe uta (nursery rhyme) released in 1921. Written by Kyōson Asahara and composed by Shinpei Nakayama,[citation needed] the song calls teru teru bōzu to bring back the sunny days, promising lots of sake if the wish is fulfilled, but decapitation if not. The nursery rhyme is usually sung by children as they make the doll.[1][2][3]
Teru teru bōzu became popular during the Edo period among urban dwellers, whose children would make them the day before the good weather was desired and chant, "Fine-weather priest, please let the weather be good tomorrow."[6]
History
[edit]The tradition of weather-watchers and a rich folk culture of hiyorimi (日和見) can be traced with certainty to the Heian period (749–1185) continuing through the Edo period (1603–1867). Teru teru bōzu weather-watching practice tradition originated and was adapted from a Chinese practice during the Heian period. The practice, called saoqing niang (掃晴娘) in China, involved putting the teru teru bōzu on the end of a broom to sweep good spirits your way, and rather than bōzu being a monk, but a young girl with a broom.[7] As the story unfolds, a girl was sacrificed to save the city during a heavy rainfall by ascending symbolically to the heavens and sweeping rain clouds from the sky. Since then, the people have commemorated her by making paper cutouts of her and hanging them outdoors in the hopes of good weather.[citation needed]
Teru teru bōzu as a Japanese practice seems to have originated from the similarity between origami dolls and names described in the literature in the middle of the Edo period. A reference to teru teru bōzu is written in Kiyū Shōran (嬉遊笑覧) by Nobuyo Kitamura, a scholar of Japanese classical literature in 1830. It is written, "If the weather becomes fine, I write my pupils on the paper, offer sake to the gods, and pour it into the river."[7]
See also
[edit]
- Ikeda, Nagano – a town in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, whose mascot is designed in the motif of teru teru bōzu.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Salupen, Mark (2019-08-03). "Understanding 'teru teru bōzu,' the ghost-like charms in 'Weathering With You'". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on 2021-03-06. Retrieved 2024-05-31.
- ^ a b c Kazemi, Anisa (2022-06-15). "Japanese Traditions: Teru Teru Bozu". Savvy Tokyo. Archived from the original on 2024-05-31. Retrieved 2024-05-31.
- ^ a b c McGee, Oona (2016-06-21). "What is Teru Teru Bozu? The tragic history behind the Japanese fine weather doll". SoraNews24. Archived from the original on 2024-05-31. Retrieved 2024-05-31.
- ^ Daijirin
- ^ Kōjien
- ^ Miyata, Noboru (August 1987). "Weather Watching and Emperorship". Current Anthropology. 28 (4): S13–S18. doi:10.1086/203572. ISSN 0011-3204. JSTOR 2743422.
- ^ a b O-Lex Japanese–English Dictionary, Obunsha, 2008. pp. 1681—2.
- ^ "てるみん・ふ～みん". ゆるキャラグランプリ2020 (in Japanese). 2020-09-25. Archived from the original on 2021-01-17. Retrieved 2020-09-25.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Teru teru bōzu at Wikimedia Commons- Tracking down the origins of the teru teru bozu (てるてる坊主) sunshine doll tradition
- What are Teruteru Bōzu?
