Signature of summer

It has already been the second week of August.

We had some mild and comfortable days last week but now we are back to the normal heat.

To get through the heat I would like to introduce you to a signature summer event.

 Furin are small bells made of glass, metal or ceramic which are hung from the eaves of houses in summer.

A rectangular strip of paper, called tanzaku, is hung from a clapper and has ancient Japanese poems or verses written on it.

When the tanzaku catches the breeze the bell chimes. In the hot, humid Japanese summer the sound of the Furin sounding in the air is, for the Japanese, a puff of coolness.

There are many kinds of Furin from all over Japan.

 

 Why don’t you try some Furin for your home this summer?

There was an annual Furin (wind bells) market at Kawasaki Daishi last month.