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Odd Japanese Customs - Teru teru bozu

By Muza-chan on Apr 29, 2010 | In Customs and traditions | 47 feedbacks »

Many cultures have ancient rituals for invoking or for stopping the rain, and Japan is no exception. However, Japan is one of the few countries where these rituals are still part of the daily life.

If you visit Japan, especially during the rainy seasons, you can encounter some curious looking dolls, made of paper or cloth, hanging at the windows.

てるてるズ
Creative Commons License photo credit: nodoca

The dolls are called teru teru bozu 「てるてる坊主」 (meaning something like “shiny-shiny Buddhist monk” or “shiny-shiny bald-headed") and are amulets for good weather, believed to have the magical power to stop or even prevent the rain.

Day#388 - Teru Teru Bozu
Creative Commons License photo credit: Jackson Boyle

Now, the tradition includes also a song associated with teru teru bozu, composed by Shinpei Nakayama and published in 1921.

The song tells an old story about a monk who promised to the villagers that he will stop the rain that was about to ruin their crops. However, the rain continued and the monk was decapitated by angry villagers, hence the origin of the head dolls…

Teru-teru-bozu, teru bozu
Do make tomorrow a sunny day
But if the clouds are crying (it’s raining)
Then I shall snip your head off

Teru Teru Bozu
Creative Commons License photo credit: tschundler
Teru Teru Bozu
Creative Commons License photo credit: Jérôme Sadou

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 giancarlodrago
On Twitter:
RT @Muzachan: Odd Japanese Customs - Teru teru bozu http://bit.ly/aZvU7u
04/29/10 @ 22:16
 ameen1288
On Twitter:
RT @Muzachan: Odd Japanese Customs - Teru teru bozu [link]
04/29/10 @ 22:19
 AMCApril
On Twitter:
Odd Japanese Customs - Teru teru bozu: Many cultures have ancient rituals for invoking or for stopping the rain, ... [link]
04/29/10 @ 22:21
 Persocom · http://animaticfigmation.com
Interesting background on the teru teru bozu. Kind of eerie origins there that I didn't know about before :3
04/29/10 @ 22:30
 persocomsan
On Twitter:
@Muzachan now I got that teru teru bozu song stuck in my head XD
04/29/10 @ 22:33
 Matteasu
On Twitter:
@Muzachan Yes, Teru Teru Bouzu are really funny.
04/29/10 @ 22:36
 lovely_lemonade
On Twitter:
[Muza-chan] Odd Japanese Customs - Teru teru bozu [link] /via @muzachan
04/29/10 @ 22:39
 ohsweetBloG
On Twitter:
Odd Japanese Customs - Teru teru bozu [link]
04/29/10 @ 22:39
 nthistlethwaite
On Twitter:
RT @Muzachan: Odd Japanese Customs - Teru teru bozu http://bit.ly/aZvU7u
04/29/10 @ 22:44
 Muzachan
On Twitter:
@persocomsan Yes, it's kind of obsessive, isn't it? ^_^
04/29/10 @ 22:50
 i65c
On Twitter:
Its antonym is the fure fure bouzu :) http://bit.ly/anVx8W RT @Muzachan: Odd Japanese Customs - Teru teru bozu http://bit.ly/aZvU7u
04/29/10 @ 23:37
 japanobserver
On Twitter:
Odd Japanese Customs - Teru teru bozu #Muza-chan'sGatetoJapan http://is.gd/bNy82
04/29/10 @ 23:54
 allingoodfood42
On Twitter:
RT @Muzachan: Odd Japanese Customs - Teru teru bozu http://bit.ly/aZvU7u
04/30/10 @ 00:00
 snowiect
On Twitter:
RT @Muzachan Odd Japanese Customs - Teru teru bozu [link]
04/30/10 @ 00:47
 cloudia · http://comfortspiral.blogspot.com
Arrigato!


04/30/10 @ 01:05
 reesan
On Twitter:
Odd Japanese Customs - Teru teru bozu: Many cultures have ancient rituals for invoking or for stop... [link] (via @muzachan)
04/30/10 @ 01:19
 johannadc
On Twitter:
Cute, until you get to the decapitation bit... RT @Muzachan Odd Japanese Customs - Teru teru bozu [link]
04/30/10 @ 02:09
 LuciF
On Twitter:
Odd Japanese Customs - Teru teru bozu [link] (via @Muzachan)
04/30/10 @ 06:41
 BlogLinkJapan
On Twitter:
Odd Japanese Customs - Teru teru bozu: [link] #JBlogs
04/30/10 @ 06:50
 edustamura
On Twitter:
RT @BlogLinkJapan: Odd Japanese Customs - Teru teru bozu: [link] #JBlogs
04/30/10 @ 06:52
 japonesbaiano
On Twitter:
RT @BlogLinkJapan: Odd Japanese Customs - Teru teru bozu: [link] #JBlogs
04/30/10 @ 06:56
 mari_ca2
On Twitter:
I was born in Japan, and I used to make those when I was little! ;) @LuciF Odd Japanese Customs - Teru teru bozu [link]
04/30/10 @ 07:39
 orientoccident
On Twitter:
RT @Muzachan: Odd Japanese Customs - Teru teru bozu dolls http://bit.ly/aZvU7u
04/30/10 @ 08:42
 KrossxSensei
On Twitter:
RT @Muzachan: Odd Japanese Customs - Teru teru bozu dolls http://bit.ly/aZvU7u
04/30/10 @ 08:44
 ishi_ungawarui
On Twitter:
RT @Muzachan: Odd Japanese Customs - Teru teru bozu dolls http://bit.ly/aZvU7u
04/30/10 @ 08:45
 armadillosoft
On Twitter:
Who'll stop the rain? Grizzly; keep reading. RT @Muzachan Teru teru bozu dolls http://bit.ly/aZvU7u
04/30/10 @ 08:54
 Wanpeirui
On Twitter:
RT @Muzachan Odd Japanese Customs - Teru teru bozu dolls http://bit.ly/aZvU7u // Not so odd to me
04/30/10 @ 08:59
 adorojobim
On Twitter:
RT @Muzachan: Odd Japanese Customs - Teru teru bozu dolls http://bit.ly/aZvU7u
04/30/10 @ 09:02
 piyofukuoka
On Twitter:
Interesting! Only knew the part"Do make tomorrow a sunny day" RT @Muzachan: Odd Japanese Customs - Teru teru bozu dolls http://bit.ly/aZvU7u
04/30/10 @ 09:23
 tenshirei
On Twitter:
RT @Muzachan: About teru teru bozu dolls http://bit.ly/aZvU7u I should put some up, but I doubt they'll do any good in Susanoo's home state.
04/30/10 @ 11:47
 edojyo_ji
On Twitter:
RT @Muzachan: Odd Japanese Customs - Teru teru bozu http://bit.ly/aZvU7u // Interesting article.
04/30/10 @ 15:03
 BillNigh
On Twitter:
RT @LuciF: Odd Japanese Customs - Teru teru bozu [link] (via @Muzachan)
04/30/10 @ 20:05
 tokyojupiter
On Twitter:
On less cranky posts, reading this makes gives that beach episode of Minami-ke so much context [link]
04/30/10 @ 22:40
 4Mori_RaBBiT
On Twitter:
RT @BlogLinkJapan: Odd Japanese Customs - Teru teru bozu: [link] #JBlogs
05/01/10 @ 06:27
 JapanIam
On Twitter:
Muza-chan's Gate to Japan Odd Japanese Customs - Teru teru bozu [link]
05/01/10 @ 07:45
 kesasar
On Twitter:
RT @Muzachan: Odd Japanese Customs - Teru teru bozu [link]
05/01/10 @ 11:02
 yukiest
On Twitter:
RT @Muzachan: Odd Japanese Customs - Teru teru bozu [link]
05/04/10 @ 08:55
 freedomwv · http://www.theghostletters.blogspot.com
I always wondered what that was all about. Good post!
05/05/10 @ 16:00
 sipdojo
On Twitter:
It is raining here in San Mateo again.. we probably should make Teru Teru Bozu. [link]
05/11/10 @ 02:05
 mandatomi
On Twitter:
@rutevera É esse mesmo!!! brigadinn! [link]
05/12/10 @ 07:01
 Bpossum
On Twitter:
Against rain RT @Muzachan: Odd Japanese Customs - Teru teru bozu http://bit.ly/aZvU7u
05/25/10 @ 22:26
 Culture4travel
On Twitter:
Odd Japanese Customs - Teru teru bozu [link] . How do you stop the rain?
05/27/10 @ 02:45
 GoyaRepublic
On Twitter:
RT @Muzachan: Odd Japanese Customs - Teru teru bozu [link]
06/01/10 @ 04:29
 so_white
On Twitter:
[link] Teru teru bozu...Shiny Shiny Bald Head
06/06/10 @ 12:58
 StoneBridgePub
On Twitter:
If I make a teru bozu, do you think the weather will improve here in Berk? It's not June anymore, why the gloom, July?! [link]
07/09/10 @ 01:10
 MacCanadienne8
On Twitter:
(^_^)Oh,I saw Teru t.b. on this JDorama: www.mysoju.com/oh-my-girl RT @Muzachan: Odd Japanese Customs - Teru teru bozu [link]
08/16/10 @ 08:19
 rosegiver19
On Twitter:
RT @Muzachan: Odd Japanese Customs - Teru teru bozu [link] This was very interesting. XP
08/25/10 @ 16:00

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