Teru Teru Bozu Originally Had No Face　#Japan #Culture #japanlife #Tradition #Folklore

Teru teru bozu originally has no face.
When hung up, it is plain white cloth.
Only after the wish for sunshine comes true is a face drawn on.
This is an act of gratitude.
The wish is granted first. Thanks come after.
The order of prayer is preserved in the doll itself.
Its origin traces to a Chinese figure called "Souseijo."
A legend of a woman who saved people from endless rain.
It reached Japan in the Heian period.
It spread among commoners in the Edo period.
For farmers, sunshine was a matter of survival.
A faceless doll is hung. When the sun comes out, eyes are drawn.
At that moment, the doll shifts from an object of prayer to an object of thanks.