Okiagari-koboshi

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Okiagari-koboshi

is a Japanese traditional doll

Japanese traditional dolls

Japanese traditional dolls are known by the name in Japan, which literally means human shape.There are various types of Japanese dolls, some representing children and babies, some the imperial court, warriors and heroes, fairy-tale characters, gods and demons, and also people of the daily life of Japanese cities....
. The toy is made from papier-mâché

Papier-mâché

Papier-m?ch? , sometimes called paper-m?ch?, is a construction material that consists of pieces of paper, sometimes reinforced with textiles, stuck together using a wet paste ....
and is designed so that its weight causes it to return to an upright position if it is knocked over

Roly-poly toy

A roly-poly toy or tilting doll or wobbly man is a toy that rights itself when pushed over. The bottom of a roly-poly toy is round, roughly a hemisphere....
. Okiagari-koboshi is considered a good-luck charm and a symbol of perseverance and resilience.

makers of the earliest okiagari-koboshi likely modeled them after a Chinese toy called Budaoweng (???; not-falling-down old man) that is similarly weighted. Okiagari-koboshi has long been popular among Japanese children.

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Encyclopedia

is a Japanese traditional doll

Japanese traditional dolls

Papier-mâché

Roly-poly toy

History

The makers of the earliest okiagari-koboshi likely modeled them after a Chinese toy called Budaoweng (???; not-falling-down old man) that is similarly weighted. Okiagari-koboshi has long been popular among Japanese children. It is mentioned in a 14th-century play called Manju-Kui, and folklorist

Japanese folklore

The folklore of Japan is heavily influenced by both Shinto and Buddhism in Japan, the two primary religions in the country. It often involves humorous or bizarre characters and situations and also includes an assortment of supernatural beings, such as bodhisattva, kami , yokai , yurei , Japanese dragon, and animals with supernatu...
Lafcadio Hearn

Lafcadio Hearn

Patrick Lafcadio Hearn , also known as after gaining Japanese citizenship, was an author, best known for his books about Japan. He is especially well-known for his collections of Japanese legends and kwaidan, such as Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things....
recorded a lullaby

Lullaby

A lullaby is a soothing song, usually sung to children before they go to sleep, with the intention of speeding that process. As a result they are often simple and repetative....
from Matsue

Matsue, Shimane

is the capital cities of Japan of Shimane Prefecture in the Chugoku region of Japan.As of 2005, the city has an estimated population of 196,093 and the population density of 369.84 persons per km?....
in Izumo Province

Izumo Province

Izumo was an Old provinces of Japan of Japan which today consists of the eastern part of Shimane Prefecture in the Chugoku region.It was one of the regions of ancient Japan where major political powers arose....
in the early 20th century that lists the doll as a gift for a young child:

Nenneko, nenneko nenneko ya!

Kono ko nashite naku-yara?

O-chichi ga taranuka? — o-mama ga taranuka?

Ima ni ototsan no ototo no o-kaeri ni

Ame ya, o-kwashi ya, hii-hii ya,

Gara-gara, nagureba fuito tatsu

Okiagarikoboshi! —

Neneko, neneko, nenneko ya!

Translated, it says:

Sleep, sleep, sleep, little one!

Why does the child continue to cry?

Is the honorable milk deficient? — is the honorable rice deficient?

Presently when father returns from the great Lord's palace,

Ame will be given to you, and also cake, and a hii-hii likewise,

And a rattle as well, and an okiagarikoboshi

That will stand up immediately after being thrown down.

Okiagari-koboshi are popular in the Aizu

Aizu

is an area comprising the westernmost third of Fukushima Prefecture in Japan. The principal city of the area is Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima.During the Edo period, Aizu was a han known as and part of Mutsu province....
region of Fukushima Prefecture

Fukushima Prefecture

is a Prefectures of Japan of Japan located in the Tohoku region on the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Fukushima, Fukushima....
. There, the dolls are sold in red and blue varieties. People buy the dolls during the Tokaichi (Tenth-day Market) held each 10 January. Shoppers typically throw several okiagari-koboshi down at the same time; those that stand back up are supposedly the lucky ones. Tradition mandates the purchase of one okiagari-koboshi for each member of the family plus one extra in the hope that the family will grow over the coming year.

Daruma dolls

One kind of Daruma doll

Daruma doll

, also known as dharma dolls, are hollow and round Japanese wish dolls with no arms or legs, modeled after Bodhidharma, the founder and first patriarch of Zen....
works on the same principle as okiagari-koboshi and is sometimes referred to by that name; whenever it is thrown down, it rights itself. This depiction of the Buddhist

Buddhism

Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices considered by most to be a religionand is based on the teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as "The Buddha" , who was born in what is today Nepal....
monk Bodhidharma

Bodhidharma

Bodhidharma was the Buddhism Bhikkhu traditionally credited as the transmitter of Zen to China. Very little contemporary biographical information on Bodhidharma is extant, and subsequent accounts became layered with legend, but most accounts agree that he was a South Indian Pallava prince-turned-monk who journeyed to Southern China and subse...
likely arose in connection with a legend that says that he once meditated for nine years, which caused his legs to either atrophy or fall off. A 17th-century children's song shows that the okiagari-koboshi Daruma dolls of the time were almost identical to their modern equivalents:

Hi ni! fu ni!

Fundan Daruma ga

Akai zukin kaburi sunmaita!

Once! twice!

Ever the red-hooded Daruma

Heedlessly sits up again!