1,400 wind chimes sing wishes in Tokushima temple precinct
16:35 JST, June 22, 2022
TOKUSHIMA — About 1,400 wind chimes, each with a paper strip bearing a handwritten wish, hang inside the Dogakuji temple precinct in Ishii, Tokushima Prefecture, delighting the eyes of visitors.
The wind chime display is the main attraction of the temple’s Makemake Furin (wind chime) Matsuri festival, which continues through the end of July. “Makemake” is a local word meaning “an abundance of” and a pun on “maken maken” (won’t lose!). Wind chimes (furin) derive from futaku, ancient talismans against evil. And so the festival name means “never losing out to difficulties, thanks to an abundance of wind chimes.”
Pictures of fireworks, morning glories, goldfish and other objects evocative of summer are drawn on the furin. Visitors dedicate the furin and paper strips to the temple after inscribing the latter with their wishes, such as world peace and safety for one’s family.
“I hope the visitors will listen to the sound of wind chimes embracing their wishes and lead their lives peacefully,” said Ryucho Shiota, the head priest of the temple.
"Features" POPULAR ARTICLE
-
Cherry Blossoms Draw Crowd to Tokyo’s Ueno Park; Viewing Season Kicks Off to Slow Start
-
Famous Weeping Cherry Tree in Full Blossom in Fukushima Pref. Town
-
Furano Increasingly Becoming the Cool Place to Be for Foreign Skiers; International Visitors Drawn to Powder Snow
-
Traditional Japanese Knife Store in Tokyo’s Ningyocho District Dates to Edo Period
-
Tokyo Station’s Reconstructed Domes Bring Back Prestigious Tradition; Station Building Hotel Loved by Literary Giants
JN ACCESS RANKING
- M6.0 Earthquake Hits Japan’s Tohoku Region; Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi Prefectures Observe 4 on Japanese Scale With No Risk of Tsunami
- Cherry Blossoms Draw Crowd to Tokyo’s Ueno Park; Viewing Season Kicks Off to Slow Start
- China Mutes Memorialization of Reformer Hu Yaobang; Memories Could Spark Critique of Xi Administration
- Shinkansen Services Suspended After Man ‘Searches for Phone’ on Tracks; Disruption Affects About 14,000 Passengers
- Whaling Mother Ship Built in Japan for 1st Time in 73 Years