Glossary: shishi odoshi

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shishi odoshi (獅子脅し/鹿威し)

Lit: "lion threat"/"deer scarer"; the water fountains found in Japanese gardens that make rhythmic clacking sounds. They are usually made of bamboo and constructed on a pivot with water flowing into one end of the bamboo. The bamboo tube tips over when it fills, making a sharp sound. This was a construction originally designed to scare away deer grazing on plants in the garden.