Shishi-odoshi

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A shishi-odoshi breaks the quietness of a Japanese garden with the sound of a bamboo rocker arm hitting a rock.

Shishi-odoshi (鹿威し) (literally, "deer-frightening" or "boar-frightening"), in a wide sense, refers to Japanese devices made to frighten away animals that pose a threat to agriculture, including kakashi (scarecrows), naruko (clappers) and sōzu. In a narrower sense, it is synonymous with sōzu.

A sōzu is a type of water

centre of gravity past the pivot, causing the tube to rotate and dump out the water. The heavier end then falls back against the rock, making a sharp sound, and the cycle is repeated.[1]

These fountains were originally intended to startle any herbivores, such as

boars, which might be grazing on the plants in the garden, but shishi-odoshi are now a part of the visual and aural design of gardens, and are used primarily for their aesthetic value.[2]


Gallery

  • Diagram of operation
    Diagram of operation
  • Sōzu, a kind of shishi-odoshi, at the Shisen-dō in Kyoto
    Sōzu, a kind of shishi-odoshi, at the Shisen-dō in Kyoto
  • Morikami Museum and Gardens - shishi-odoshi filling up
    Morikami Museum and Gardens - shishi-odoshi filling up
  • Emptying
    Emptying
  • Video of a shishi-odoshi in operation, taking one minute to fill
  • A modern, stylised shishi-odoshi in Kalemegdan Park, Belgrade
    A modern, stylised shishi-odoshi in Kalemegdan Park, Belgrade

See also

References

  1. PMID 31766643
    .
  2. ISBN 9781462905829
    . Retrieved 17 February 2020.

External links

Sōzu recording
Sound of a sōzu. Recorded at Shisen-dō, Kyoto, Japan
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