Teru Teru Bouzu

In Japanese culture, there is a magical doll called Teru Teru Bozu that wishes for good weather. To "wish for good weather," Japanese people make Teru Teru Bozu on days when they are traveling or doing outdoor activities. In this article, we will introduce in detail the origin of Teru Teru Bozu, how to hang it, and how to dispose of it.

1. Origin of Teru Teru Bozu
Teru Teru Bozu is a doll made of white cloth or paper that is hung on the eaves to pray for good weather the next day. This doll is especially popular with children. There are several variations on the name of Teru Teru Bozu:

• てるてる法師 (Teru Teru Houshi)
• てれてれ坊主 (Teru Teru Bozu)
• 晴れ晴れ坊主 (Hare hare Bozu)
• ひより坊主 (Hiyori Bozu)
• 起源に関する仮説

Hypotheses on origin
The origin of Teru Teru Bozu is unknown, and there are several hypotheses.

• Hypothesis 1: China's Swang Qing Niang (Cleaning Girl) In Chinese legend, a beautiful girl named Hare Niang becomes the princess of the dragon god in order to stop the rain. Long ago, a village in China was plagued by continuous rain. The villagers prayed to the heavens to stop the rain, but it was not the gods of heaven who answered their prayers, but the dragon god. The dragon god promised to stop the rain if the beautiful village girl, Haru-niang, would become his princess. Haru-niang became the dragon god's princess to save the village, and the rain stopped. This legend is said to be the origin of the Teru-teru bozu.
• Hypothesis 2: A Japanese monk According to a Japanese folk tale, one year, people were troubled by continuous continuous rain. At that time, a monk promised, "If I recite the sutra, tomorrow will be sunny." The people welcomed the monk, but the rain did not stop the next day, and the monk was punished as a liar. It is said that the monk's soul was then enshrined as a Teru-teru bozu to pray for sunny days.

2. How to hang a Teru-teru bozu
There are several points to keep in mind in order to maximize the effect of a Teru-teru bozu.

Don't draw a face When you wish for clear skies, it is common not to draw a face on your Teru Teru Bouzu. You can draw a face after your wish has come true.

Hang it the day before If you want the next day to be clear skies, it is best to hang your Teru Teru Bouzu the day before. As the nursery rhyme "Teru Teru Bouzu" says, "May the weather be fine tomorrow," it is best to hang it up by the evening of the previous day.

Hang it facing south The effect is enhanced by hanging your Teru Teru Bouzu in a window or on an eaves facing south. It is said that a wish for clear skies is more likely to come true because a place facing south receives the most sunlight.

3. How to dispose of your Teru Teru Bouzu

The way to dispose of your Teru Teru Bouzu depends on whether your wish has come true.

• If your wish has come true: Clear skies If your wish has come true and the skies are clear, draw a face on your Teru Teru Bouzu and pour sake over it to show your gratitude. After that, you can either throw away the Teru Teru Bouzu or burn it to show your gratitude.
• If your wish is not granted: Rain If your wish is not granted and it continues to rain, you can either throw it away without drawing a face on it, or put it in a box and throw it away. In the past, it was sometimes thrown into the river, but nowadays, from the perspective of environmental protection, it is disposed of properly as garbage.

Dolls praying for sunny days and dolls praying for rain
Hanging a Teru Teru Bozu upside down is said to mean praying for rain, but this is not a particularly formal custom. However, an upside-down Teru Teru Bozu is said to have the opposite effect to praying for sunny days. A special Teru Teru Bozu made of black cloth is used when praying for rain, not the usual white Teru Teru Bozu.

Teru Teru Bozu Nursery Rhyme
There is a nursery rhyme for Teru Teru Bozu, which goes like this. This song is often sung by children when making Teru Teru Bozu.

てるてる坊主　てる坊主
あした天気にしておくれ
いつかの夢の空のように
晴れたら金の鈴あげよ
てるてる坊主　てる坊主
あした天気にしておくれ
わたしの願いを聞いたなら
あまいお酒をたんと飲ましょ
てるてる坊主　てる坊主
あした天気にしておくれ
それでも曇って泣いてたら
そなたの首をチョンと切るぞ

ROMAJI :
Teruterubōzu teru bōzu 
ashitatenkinishiteokure 
itsuka no yume no sora no yo ni 
haretara kin no suzu age yo 
teruterubōzu teru bōzu 
ashitatenkinishiteokure 
watashi no negai o kiita nara 
amai o sake o tanto noma sho 
teruterubōzu teru bōzu 
Ashitatenkinishiteokure