風鈴 (Fuurin) – Wind Chime

19th July – 文月

風鈴 (Fuurin) is a type of wind chime which creates gentle calm sounds. It has 3 parts – 鐘 (Kane) as a bell part to make the sounds, 舌 (zestu) to hit the bell and 短冊 (Tanzaku) to catch the wind.

When the wind blows, 風鈴 (Fuurin) makes beautiful sounds. As being Japanese, 風鈴 is associated to summer and when hearing its sounds, the temperature around somehow feels cooler. This strange phenomenon happens to many Japanese because their brains judge like this;

風鈴 rings → there are winds → wind makes the air cooler → temperature gets lower

Moreover, the sounds 風鈴 makes have a healing effects so listening that gentle sounds makes people relax and comfortable.

Back in the old time, 風鈴 was used for fortune-telling in China. It was called 風鐸 (Fuutaku), bell-shaped and made of bronze. by using 風鐸 to check the direction of wind and how it sounds, fortune tellers predicts good and bad lacks.

Then, it was introduced to Japan from China, and used as an amulet. It was believed that staying in the area where the sounds of 風鈴 can be heard, 風鈴 would protect people from disasters.

At that time, 風鈴 made of glass was extremely valuable therefore it was sold few million Japanese yen ($10,000~higher).

In Japan wide, there are workshop studios where provide lessons to make glass 風鈴, thus when you have a chance, it would be nice to visit one of those and make your own 風鈴 to bring back home.