broom. As the story unfolds, a girl was sacrificed to save the city during a heavy rainfall by ascending symbolically to the heavens and sweeping rain clouds from the sky. Since then, the people have commemorated her by making paper cutouts of herself and hanging them outdoors in the hopes of good weather. See also Ikeda, Nagano – a town located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. Mascot of this town is designed in the motif of Teru teru bōzu. References External links Tracking down the origins of the teru teru bozu (てるてる坊主) sunshine doll tradition What are Teruteru Bōzu? Japanese folklore Japanese dolls Amulets Talismans Shinto Buddhist religious objects Religious objects Shinto religious objects Superstitions of Japan Eastern esotericism Japanese words and phrases