A Teru Teru Bōzu (てるてる坊主) is a traditional hand-made doll made out of white paper or cloth that supposedly has magical powers to bring good weather. In Japanese, teru means to shine and bōzu means Buddhist priest, monk or boy and it was a mascot, so to speak, used by Japanese farmers as a sort of prayer for preventing rainy days.
The Teru Teru Bōzu became popular in the Edo-period (1603-1868) and it was common for kids to make them the day before good weather was desired while singing “Teru-teru-bōzu, teru bōzu. Ashita tenki ni shite o-kure” (“Teru-teru-bozu, teru bozu. Do make tomorrow a sunny day”).
The Teru Teru Bōzu is still very popular today and it’s common for children to make them before field trips and other outdoor activities. If you’re lucky enough to see one, they usually hang on a string outside of windows. And if you see a Teru Teru Bōzu hanging upside down, that means someone is actually praying for rain.
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