Teruteru Bozu: Summon The Sun With A Smile!

Have you ever heard the Japanese phrase, "ashita, tenki ni naare!" before? It means 'let tomorrow be sunny' and is a common utterance made when people are hoping to have good weather the next day. Whether to pray for sunny skies before a wedding, fireworks celebration or just in hope of a break from the long rainy days of June, there are a number of ways in which the Japanese try to summon good weather.

One of the most popular ways to accomplish this is by making a teruteru bozu, but first, let's take a look at another, fun weather prediction style in Japan.

Weather Predictions Via Shoe?

A traditional custom in Japan comes from their shoes. In the olden days, children would often play outside until sunset, and, as they came home and had to take off their shoes to enter the home, they would kick off their sandals high into the sky. They believed that, the way that your shoe landed would predict the weather for the next day, and would make a wish that it would be a nice day out so that they could keep playing.

As the shoes rolled through the air, the children would chant: "let tomorrow be sunny!", and then watch how their shoes landed.
If the shoe landed properly, it would be sunny, on its side, it would be cloudy, and if it landed upside down, then it would be rainy. It goes without saying though that there were probably many children that kept trying until they got a guarantee of sunny weather.

If you don't have the space to kick your shoes off, why not try asking a weather specialist like teruteru bozu to make your weather dreams come true instead?

What is a Teru Teru Bozu?

A teruteru bozu is a small doll made from paper or cloth tied with string, with a smiling face drawn on it which is either placed near or hung in a window. 'Teruteru' is the Japanese onomatopoeia for "shine shine", like the rays of the sun, and a Bozu is a term for a Buddhist monk. In some parts of Japan, these dolls are also made with black paper or hung upside-down in order to pray for rain instead.

The origin of the teruteru bozu is said to be a type of Chinese paper doll called the 'souseijo' in Japanese, which was the shape of a girl carrying a broom (the broom was believed to sweep away clouds), that arrived in Japan during the Heian era (794-1185). This doll evolved over time into the shape of a monk, perhaps based on a Buddhist monk that had been known for his ability to summon good weather.

Teruteru bozu were originally made without a face and hung on the branches of the nandina or sacred bamboo plant, as they were said to be able to protect against, or even exorcise demons. If the teruteru bozu did its job and granted good weather, then it was given a face, had holy sake poured over it, and was then placed in a river to float downstream. If not, then the doll might be destroyed by having its head cut off and being discarded.

From: How Japanese Children Play - An Illustrated Guide by Yushikan Publishing

The teruteru bozo also makes an appearance in many Japanese poems and stories, and was well-established across Japan by the middle of the Edo period (1603-1868), and in the Taisho period (1912-1926), a popular nursery rhyme based song about the teruteru bozu was released as well. The lyrics of this song are:

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 sake

Teru-teru-bozu, teru bozu
Do make tomorrow a sunny day
but if it's cloudy and I find you crying [I find it's raining]
Then I shall snip your head off

Translation taken from Wikipedia

A Wish For Sunny Weather: How to Make Your Own Teruteru Bozu

Would you like to make your own teruteru bozu? While there are many ways you can do this, one way that involves only materials you have at home. It's more common to give them faces when making them nowadays, so you can get a little creative with them as well.

1. Materials

There are only three things necessary to make your own simple teruteru bozu:
1. Tissues: 3-5 sheets of facial tissue (you can also use plain paper or origami paper)
2. String, ribbon, or rubber bands: any of these can be used to tie and hang up your doll.
3. Markers: to draw the face and decorate with

If you like, you can use fabric and cotton balls instead of tissues or paper. Just use what you have on hand!

2. Make the Shape

First, make a small ball using 2-3 sheets of tissue or paper. Try to make it as round as you can, and compact. Then cover it another tissue or two. Twist it slightly (be careful not to rip the tissue!), and tie it with either a rubber band or some string. If you use string, you can even give your teruteru bozu a bowtie.

3. Draw the Face

The face is up to you; the original teruteru bozu didn't have a face, so there isn't a set form that it needs to take. Once you've draw the face, add another piece of string to the back of your doll, and hang it in your window and make a wish for sunny weather. Hopefully your wish will come true!

What Do You Think?

During the rainy season in Japan, when it can rain for nearly a month straight, making a teruteru bozu is a great way to not only pray for a break from the rain, but also to entertain yourself and kids. If you're lucky, the teruteru bozu might grant you wish and give you a sunny day; in that case, please say thank you to them. If not, just forgive them and maybe they'll manage it the next day instead.

If you'd like to know more about the weather in Tokyo, and get a good idea of what the climate is like all year long, take a look at: The Temperature In Tokyo And What To Wear.