Wishes in Japan

Introduction:

When you think about how to make a wish, what pops into your mind? Is it wishing on a star? How about rubbing a magic lamp, throwing a coin into a well or blowing out your birthday candles? Did you know that every culture has special ways to make a wish come true?  In high school, I learned about all the ways Japan makes wishes. Most deal with writing a wish on pieces of paper and hanging them on trees at temples. However, the traditions of the Daruma doll and the 1,000 paper cranes are my favorite ones based on Japanese folklore. I have even done the 1,000 paper cranes myself! 

What tradition did I learn about?:

The 1,000 paper cranes tradition is based on a belief that if you fold 1,000 origami cranes, whatever you wish for while folding them will come true. This is often done for those who are ill or during great tragedies like natural disasters. In Japanese its called ぜんばづる, senbazuru.

The Daruma doll comes with blank eyes. You fill in one eye as you make a goal for yourself and the other when your goal is completed. You then burn it in January at a shrine to keep the wish from turning bad.

Why does the community have this tradition?:

The crane, along with dragons and turtles, is a mystical or holy creature in Japanese history, and traditionally, people believed that it lives for 1,000 years.

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