Japan History and Culture

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