Japan History and Culture

Sacred straw festoon (Shimekazari, 玉飾り)

Shimekazari(標飾り)is one of New Year’s decorations, many house and companies   hang on the top of the house entrance or in the kitchen above the stove for block the invasion of bad luck or wards off evil spirits and welcome the gods (Shintoism God). Some even decorate the front of their cars with shimekazari after a car wash. These are made from sacred twisted straw rope hung with strips of white paper and pieces of straw ,shaped into one or more rings.

These consist of propitious decorations, most commonly an orange because orange (daidai is a small citrus)) sounds like “many generations”. It is a wish for fertility and lots of descendants, kelp (Konbu) sounds similar to the word, yorokobu (to be happy), a lobster, ferns with white-backed leaves, folding fan and attached to them. It has a modest and simple one. The lettering says daikichi, which means best luck, and that little cat is a manekineko. It is holding a golden coin in one paw and beckoning with the other. It is beckoning for more coins. each one of those decorations is significant, symbol of a prayer for longevity, academic success, prosperity and so on.

Japanese rain doll (Teru teru bozu)

Teru teru bozu is traditional handmade doll that is made of tissue paper or clothes and a string and hang them from the eaves or in front of a window to wish for sunny weather. Japanese believed to have magical powers to bring good weather and to stop or prevent a rainy day.
Teru in Japanese means “sun shine” or “(weather) be fine” and a “bōzu” is Buddhist monk. literal translation of Teru teru bozu is the shining shining Buddhist monk. therefore, is a monk sending your message to heaven.

Materials

2 sheets of tissue papers or clothes

How to Make a Teru Teru Bozu

1.Get two pieces of tissue paper and a piece of string. Crumble a sheet of tissue paper.

2. Crumple one tissue into a ball, Put the crumbled tissue paper at the center of the other tissue.

3.Wrap the ball with the tissue.

4. Tighten the flat tissue around the ball, tie it up.

5. Hang your teru-teru bozu outside a window a few days before the day you want the sun to shine.

The teru teru bozu’s song.

Teru-teru-bozu, teru bozu
Ashita tenki ni shite o-kure
Itsuka no yume no sora no yo ni
Haretara kin no suzu ageyo
–
Teru-teru-bozu, teru bozu
Ashita tenki ni shite o-kure
Watashi no negai wo kiita nara
Amai o-sake wo tanto nomasho
–
Teru-teru-bozu, teru bozu
Ashita tenki ni shite o-kure
Sore de mo kumotte naitetara
Sonata no kubi wo chon to kiru zo

Translation:

Teru-teru-bozu, teru bozu
Do make tomorrow a sunny day
Like the sky in a dream 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 booze
–
Teru-teru-bozu, teru bozu
Do make tomorrow a sunny day
but if it’s cloudy and I find you crying
Then I shall chop your head off