Wind chimes (called “furin”) in Japan are recognized symbols of the country as well as beautiful, decorative soundmakers.
There is a long story around Japanese wind chimes, and they stand for something beyond just a decorative object.
Furin has long stood for the Japanese summer season, and the pieces of paper that hang from them symbolize the wind, which is supposed to help the listener feel cool even on the hottest days.
Let’s take a deeper look at Japanese wind chimes and what they mean below. We’ll look at the following topics regarding furin:
- What are Japanese wind chimes?
- What does the word “furin” (wind chime) mean?
- What is the meaning behind Japanese wind chimes?
- What is the history behind Japanese wind chimes?
What Are Japanese Wind Chimes?
Japanese wind chimes (furin) are unique from wind chimes we’d see in many western countries.
Most wind chimes in the western world (not exclusively) consist of some combination of metal, glass, bamboo, or wood that is suspended via a string and produces music as it moves in the wind.
Japanese wind chimes aren’t really any different since they also produce music by being blown by the wind.
Nonetheless, they are for a different purpose and have a specific meaning.
In a Japanese wind chime you have a blown-glass bowl that has a picture painted inside and is turned upside down.
That bowl is at the top of the chime and a strip of paper from tanzaku comes off the bottom of the bowl.
Now the zetsu ( clanger) is also inside the bowl that produces the sound inside of the bowl.
When the wind blows against the paper tanzaku and moves the string, that is what will move the zetsu, producing the music.
Also, certain areas of Japanese culture have their own version of the wind chime, such as:
- Iwate, where Takaoka Bronze is used.
- Or Okinawa, where Ryukyu Glass is used.
Japanese wind chimes can also come in many different colors and decorations depending on where you buy them.
What Does the Word “Furin” (Wind Chime) Mean?
Furin – the Japanese term for the “wind chime” – means something like “wind bell”, which is indeed apt considering the dome on top has a clapper.
Within this word – “fu” translates to “wind”, and “rin” translates to “bell” in Japanese.
The glass bell wind chimes – specifically – about those, you’ll want to refer to as “Edo Furin”. “Edo” refers to a section of Tokyo Japan.
What Is the Meaning Behind Japanese Wind Chimes?
Japanese wind chimes are made to feature the sensation of coolness through sound, even in the hottest, hottest summer days.
Many people associate these objects with the summer season in Japan – it has historical ties.
While some may not think the wind chimes can really make you cool with its sound’s alone, some are believers in the unique meaning of furin.
In a convenient way the chimes only make sound with wind blowing on them, so it is reasonable to think that if you are outside, you would naturally feel cooler if there is a breeze.
In any case, furin are a important symbol for summer, and Japanese people often hang them outside, and near their windows to hear it ring a sweet sound.
There are other meanings associated with furin,
There are ancient historical ties with evil, divine, and even epidemics as so far I understand.
In ancient Japan, people would attempt to ward off evil that they might have thought came with the strong winds signaled by a more ancient versions of wind chimes (futaku).
They also would hang futaku in holy or sacred places, to emphasize there experience of divine presence.
Additionally, despite not being about the rumored meanings or associations with Japanese wind chimes, these historic objects certainly represent beauty.
Don’t forget to enjoy their delicate and simple designs, which are pleasing to the eye as they move, and “sing” in the wind.
What Is the History Behind Japanese Wind Chimes?
There’s way more to Japanese wind chimes than you might think, and there’s even more from other countries and their influences on Japanese culture.
Specifically, wind chimes were arguably used as tools for fortune-telling in ancient China, and sometimes they were used to keep away evil spirits.
At that time the design, meaning, and purpose were different but much of the same spirit carries through to the Japanese wind chimes (furin) that we are talking about today.
Wind chimes actually made their entrance into Japan much later, via Buddhism.
Also, glass-making techniques came to Japan much later, in the 18th and 19th centuries.
This was only after glass-making as an art form was introduced to Japan via the Dutch who initially brought it to Nagasaki. They baked the glass to shape it and soon after glass-blowing techniques were introduced because it started to get popular.
Once glass-making techniques took off, the Japanese started to make their wind chimes (furin) with the distinctive painted glass dome at the top.
And these are what we now know today as the Edo wind chimes from Japan.
Conclusion
Japanese wind chimes have a different form and meaning compared to Western wind chimes.
In Japan they are known as “furin” (literally meaning “wind bell”) and have a long history, wind bells date back to ancient times, and they still possess meaning that indicates a feeling of summer.
Japanese wind chimes are all sorts of shapes and materials, some are influenced by China, but they all create a song-like sound when blowing in the wind that Prima Donna, signaling a coolness even in the summer heat.