Fans of idol group Appare! create over 10,000 handmade dolls to break record

Do you wish for a sun-shining day? In Japanese tradition, you can make this wish come true with a handmade doll!

That is exactly what members and fans of Tokyo-based idol group Appare! did leading up to their big concert at Budokan on 29 January.

The result? They not only got great weather, but also came away with the largest display of teru teru bozu dolls in the world!

The history of teru teru bozu is believed to trace back to the Heian period (749–1185), and is sort of a charm to prevent rain and bring sunshine.

Making the doll is simple: create a ball (made of polyester fiber, etc.), wrap that around a cloth, and clasp the wrapped ball with a string or rubber band. The doll can alternatively be made with some tissues.

But why did Appare! and their fans want to create so many teru teru bozu dolls?

On 16 August 2024, the group was scheduled to perform at Nippon Budokan for the first time. This venue has a lot of history, with major national and international artists - such as The Beatles, Queen, Eric Clapton, and Carpenters to name a few - performing concerts here.

Its legendary status means that many artists strive to one day perform at Budokan.

However, on the day Appare! was scheduled to perform, a large typhoon had hit Japan, causing public transport to stop running. Therefore, the group had no choice but to cancel the show.

Rei Asahina, one of the members of Appare!, said: "I was devastated. We were all looking forward to it, and everyone worked so hard for the big day. The fact that our dream stage was called off was nobody's fault, and it was so hard because there was no place to put our saddness or frustration to."

Once Appare! decided to give Budokan another go - this time in winter - both members and fans wanted to make sure they had the weather on their side.

Asahina said: "Creating teru teru bozu to wish for a good weather was a good idea, especially because fans and members all get to be involved. I had a good feeling that our bonds would strengthen further."

With the record-breaking teru teru bozu doll display, they had good sunshine on the day, and the concert went ahead as planned.