MINGEI - Kusatsu hariko

LINK
http://omamorifromjapan.blogspot.jp/2011/08/shiga-folk-toys.html

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Kusatsu hariko 草津張り子 papermachee dolls from Kusatsu
Kusatsu is located on the shores of lake Biwako, opposite to the town of Otsu 大津.
Dolls of this town are realted to warding off smallpox (hoosoo yoke 疱瘡除け).
They are sold in the store 日用雑貨店「川源」and in Moriyama town、守山市 Asahi store 朝日.
... pinpin uma ピンピン馬 healthy horse
... pinpin tai ピンピン鯛 healthy sea bream



They come in a set.
A small Daruma figure is also part of the set. There are two pieces of red paper to place the dolls on, put rice with red beans in the small white dish and make an offering in the morning with the wish for a child to get well from the smallpox. In the evening the two pieces of paper are placed under the pillow of the child. This has to be repeated for seven days. At the end of this period the Shojo doll is taken to the village border and discarded as an offering there, taking with him the smallpox of the child.
This custom is called
yotsu tsuji shoojoogaeshi 四ッ辻猩々返し




with shoojoo 猩猩 Shojo "legendary heavy drinker"
source : kyoudogangu.xii.jp


. Shoojoo 猩猩 Shojo, legendary heavy drinker .

. Daruma, Smallpox and the color Red .


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