Japanese customs and traditions - Kukurizaru, the Hanging Monkeys

An old Japanese belief says that in order to have a wish fulfilled, you need to give up a desire... Related to this, there's a small temple in Higashiyama, Kyoto, called Yasaka Koshin-do, where you can witness a nice old custom: in the temple's courtyard you will see a large number of spherical talismans made of colorful cloth, called Kukurizaru - the "hanging monkey".

Kukurizaru represents a monkey with the hands and feet tied to the back, a symbol of self-control and triumph over desires. The idea is that if you put your desire inside the Kukurizaru, the temple's patron deity, Koshin (one of the Buddhist guardians) will help you get over that desire, so your wish will be fulfilled...