Strictly Concerning Knowledge about Japanese Traditions

Work in progress:

​This post concerns knowledge I have gained in my search for traditional Japanese objects that appear in Guardians of Azuma but are not related directly to the game.

One of these is the distinction between a Kabuki and a Warabe doll.  

There are a number of what I would call ‘classical’ renditions in the form of dolls of famous figures or characters from Kabuki dramas.  If one were familiar with these old narratives, one would be able to identify the drama and the character instantly.  Without a good familiarity with Kabuki, however, it often is difficult to know whether, for example, a doll holding branches of wisteria is a character from a Kabuki tradition or a sort of amulet designed to bring good fortune to its recipient.

Kabuki dolls have symbolic associations and indeed in Shinto beliefs, all objects have souls, whether they are powerful forces or have minimal effects on the world at large.  Dolls are no exception.

A Warabe doll is designed to be an agent of good fortune, often given to a child as a protective symbol of good fortune, an aid to growth, success and prosperity.  In this context, I asked about the ‘chequered cloth’ that often can be seen as part of the clothing of a Warabe doll.  

I was told that the chequered cloth essentially represents infinity, a path that has no end and that thus it has come to define many Warabe dolls.   If you see a Japanese doll for sale with clothing that has this pattern, it generally means that the doll was made to be given as a good luck gift to a child or some one who could benefit from such wishes.  But cannot we all benefit from a little aid?

I would like to explore different versions of dolls bearing wisteria branches and blossoms.

First the Kabuki version known as the Fuji Musume, or ‘Wisteria Maiden’.  She symbolises the spirit of a young woman in love and is depicted with a colourful kimono, a nurigasa (black lacquered hat with wisteria icons painted on it) and holds a branch of wisteria in bloom.  There is no real narrative attached to this famous character in Kabuki traditions.  A spectacular dance is the key to the appearance of the Fuji Musume on stage.  She will change costume four times, going behind the trunk of a wisteria tree to make quick changes against a stunning background of wisteria flowers.

The Warabe version is not that different in appearance but the inclusion of an obi or other piece of clothing with the classical chequered pattern will show her intention.

The word ‘Warabe’ translates to child.  In my view, it does not define the age or identity of the doll thus described but the intended use of a doll as a talisman of good fortune for a child.  How else to explain very mature geisha dolls that carry the title of ‘Warabe’ and additionally wear the chequered cloth.  F I am wrong, I hope some one will set me straight, but I believe I am not mistaken here.

Now, in a traditional culture that believed in animism whereby every object has its own soul, what is the situation where a Warabe doll is sold or regifted after being given to some one else initially?

Ordinarily, the power of any object resides in the object itself and thus any power to bring good fortune will pass to the next owner.  The power does not shift from the doll to the recipient of the gift.

This is good especially when one considers the ultimate fate of amsome one initially given a new Warabe doll who then keeps her throughout her long life but then dies.  There are funeral rites available for dolls like this who become ownerless essentially but no prohibition exists against passing a doll to a new owner.

The worst case would be one where the child given the doll initially contracts a terrible illness or otherwise meets with a horrible misfortune.  Even then, there is hope for the rehabilitation of a Warabe doll.

Japanese tradition has a number of rituals designed to purify objects of any negative energy or associations from past ‘lives’.  If you are in Japan, you can take the dolls to a shrine for ritual purification by a priest.  There are set festivals where many individuals do this and collective purification occurs but you can do it yourself at home.

In almost every culture from the earliest dawn of civilisation, salt has been considered a powerful purifying agent.  It represents the Earth element in some traditions, but universally is believed to hold purifying power.