形代

Japanese

Kanji in this term
形	代
かた Grade: 2	しろ Grade: 3
kun’yomi

Etymology

Compound of 形 (kata, “form, shape, model”) +‎ 代 (shiro, “substitution, replacement”).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) かたしろ [kàtáshíró] (Heiban – [0])
• (Tokyo) かた​しろ [kàtáꜜshìrò] (Nakadaka – [2])
• IPA^(key): [ka̠ta̠ɕiɾo̞]

Noun

形(かた)代(しろ) • (katashiro) 

1. (Shinto) a traditional Japanese paper doll used in certain purification rituals

   Synonym: 人形 (hitogata)

2. a doll or other substitute for a person, used as the target for a prayer or curse
3. a substitute or stand-in for a person

Coordinate terms

• 紙(かみ)人(にん)形(ぎょう) (kami ningyō): paper doll (as a toy rather than a ritual object)
• 流(なが)し雛(びな) (nagashibina): the practice of making dolls out of paper or straw, and sending them on a boat down a river or out to sea, carrying away one's impurities and sins with them.

Further reading

• Japanese dolls on Wikipedia.Wikipedia