Pray for a Miracle with Kokeshi
"Here comes the World Cup!" - that may ring rather hollow in Japan except mass media.Frankly speaking,the Japanese team is really "underdog" - Japanese like humility but it doesn't always recommend that players give their shots away to each other -often even to opposing team's players - in front of the goal.But it is not that this is anything new.One of my friends suggested a bet how many points Japan would lose by - I didn't join the bet because "a miracle might happen!" - I pray for a miracle with my kokeshi - doll has been used for amulet which might bring us good luck and protect us from evil or injury.
On the other hand,doll has also been used for tool for "curse" in Japan - there is a horrible doll in Japan,"straw doll",which is literally made of straw.I'm so sorry I can't list its picture because "Unfortunately", I don't have it.
Someone who was horribly betrayed and harmed by his(or her) foe - he makes this doll and drive a long nail into it in the deep of the night,desperately wishing the foe harm.It has an instant strong effect!!! - only in horror films.I remember I would beg my mother to go with me to the toilet at midnight after watching this straw doll cult on films in my childhood - fortunately,now I can go alone.
In addition,doll has been "substitute" for human.We can see this kind of dolls as substitutes or such roles in many ancient burial mounds.
Here is a strange custom even in modern Japan -"Rokuyo",the custom based on an old calender style in Japan.It is formed as one period for six days.Each day has each "meaning" - a certain day is good for all,or another day is bad for all....This custom still remains among Japanese more or less -even among business companies.As major examples,the dates of ceremonies - marriage ceremony or anniversary of the office founding etc. are very often determined based on the calender.
In the calender,there is a day "too bad for funeral ceremony" - according to its custom,to hold funeral on the day means "the departed will take his familiar persons away" -this is also horrible.So still now,most modern Japanese arrange it on another day - but "too busy modern people", if someone must need to hold it on the "too bad day" for inevitable reason,how should he deal with it?
One of the answers is "put doll in the departed coffin" as "substitutes for his familiar persons" -it must be hard to doll.
By the way,the above picture is called "Daruma",this is also a kind of charm or amulet.As you can see,he has no limbs like kokeshi.And the word "Daruma" is sometimes used as a unpleasant metaphor for "helpless" or "stuck" - because a Japanese expression "he can't move even his limbs" means "he can't do anything" in English and Daruma literally "can't move his limbs (needless to say,because of no limbs)".So,I'll really wish with my kokeshi - "Our Japanese team may win at least once! Never be like Daruma!!" -although koekshi also has no limbs.
