Japanese Weather Vocabulary

When traveling to Japan, the weather is definitely top of mind before you set off! Want to understand Japan's Tenki Yōho (weather forecast) yourself and accurately know when it will rain or clear up? Todaimae has prepared the most comprehensive list of essential Japanese weather vocabulary for you. Hare-kun (ハレ君), the sunny doll, will even join you to review them!

Ever wondered why Hare-kun in our game looks so familiar? He’s actually based on the classic Japanese folk tradition of the Teru Teru Bozu (Sunny Doll). In Japan, people hang these dolls by windows or outside before big events—like school trips or sports days—to pray for clear skies. Want your Japanese grades to shine just as bright? Make sure to drop by Todaimae regularly to practice!

Besides, we’ve created a special 4-panel comic starring our very own Sunny Doll! If you want to see Hare-kun’s cute and funny everyday adventures, make sure to check it out!

Turns out, according to traditional Japanese culture, there are specific rules to hanging a Teru Teru Bozu—get it wrong, and it might backfire! Let’s learn the right way to do it together:

1. Praying for Clear Skies (The Right Way): Hang a Blank Doll First, Draw the Face Later

Many people draw a smiling face right after making the doll, but the traditional way is to leave it completely blank when hanging it up. Only when the big day actually brings clear skies do you draw on the eyes and happy smile as a sign of gratitude—just like filling in the eyes on a Japanese Daruma doll! Traditionally, people would even offer it a drop of sacred sake.

2. Praying for Rain (The Reverse Trick): Hang the Doll Upside Down

If you want to pray for rain—like farmers during a drought, or students hoping for a Black Rainstorm signal or Typhoon Signal No. 8 tomorrow morning so classes get canceled—the trick is simple: just hang the Sunny Doll upside down! When hung this way, the doll is called Ame Bozu (rain monk) or Sakasa Bozu (upside-down monk) in Japanese.

※ Absolute Taboo: Whatever You Do, Don't Draw a Crying Face!

Legend has it that drawing a crying face on a Sunny Doll angers the gods, bringing endless downpours or even disaster. So if you want rain, just hang it upside down—whatever you do, don't draw a crying face!