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is a Japanese art form in which earth and water are combined and moulded, then carefully polished to create a delicate shiny sphere resembling a
Making the basic ''dorodango'' is a traditional pastime for school children.
More recently, the process has been refined into the art of the ''hikaru'' ("shining") ''dorodango'' (), which has a glossy surface. Several different techniques can be used. Across all methods, a core of the ball is made of basic mud, which has been carefully shaped by hand to be as round as possible. This core is left to dry, and then methodically and carefully dusted with finely sifted soil to create a crust several millimeters thick around the core. This step may be repeated several times, with finer and finer grains of dirt in order to create a smooth and shiny surface. A cloth then may be used to gently polish the surface. The dorodango, once completed, may look like a polished stone sphere, but it is still very fragile. The process requires several hours and careful focus so as not to break the ball.
"Shiny Mud Balls: Kyoto Professor Taps into the Essence of Play"Illustrated step-by-step guide to making Hikaru Dorodango"Shiny Balls of Mud"
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Bruce Gardner's dorodangointerview
Children's street culture Sculpture techniques Japanese games Japanese words and phrases
is a Japanese art form in which earth and water are combined and moulded, then carefully polished to create a delicate shiny sphere resembling a billiard ball
A billiard ball is a small, hard ball used in cue sports, such as carom billiards, pool, and snooker. The number, type, diameter, color, and pattern of the balls differ depending upon the specific game being played. Various particular ball p ...
.
Etymology
The phrase is derived from theJapanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
words and .
Technique
Making the basic ''dorodango'' is a traditional pastime for school children.
More recently, the process has been refined into the art of the ''hikaru'' ("shining") ''dorodango'' (), which has a glossy surface. Several different techniques can be used. Across all methods, a core of the ball is made of basic mud, which has been carefully shaped by hand to be as round as possible. This core is left to dry, and then methodically and carefully dusted with finely sifted soil to create a crust several millimeters thick around the core. This step may be repeated several times, with finer and finer grains of dirt in order to create a smooth and shiny surface. A cloth then may be used to gently polish the surface. The dorodango, once completed, may look like a polished stone sphere, but it is still very fragile. The process requires several hours and careful focus so as not to break the ball.
In popular culture
In Christopher Paolini's novel series ''The Inheritance Cycle
''The Inheritance Cycle'' is a tetralogy of young adult high fantasy novels written by American author Christopher Paolini. Set in the fictional world of Alagaësia (), the novels focus on the adventures of a teenage boy named Eragon and his d ...
'', protagonist Eragon witnesses the King of the Dwarves King Orik carrying out a Dwarvish tradition of making an ''erôthknurl.'' The process of making an ''erôthknurl'' is highly similar to the process of making dorodango.
In the Discovery Channel series '' MythBusters'' episode "End with a Bang" (Episode 113), which first aired on November 12, 2008, hosts Adam Savage
Adam Whitney Savage (born July 15, 1967) is an American special effects designer and fabricator, actor, educator, and television personality and producer, best known as the former co-host (with Jamie Hyneman) of the Discovery Channel televisi ...
and Jamie Hyneman
James Franklin Hyneman (born September 25, 1956) is an American special effects expert who is best known as the former co-host of the television series '' MythBusters'' alongside Adam Savage, where he became known for his distinctive beret and ...
investigated the truth behind everyday sayings. They used the ''dorodango'' technique to create dung spheres in order to bust the myth that one "can't polish a turd
Feces ( or faeces), known colloquially and in slang as poo and poop, are the solid or semi-solid remains of food that was not digested in the small intestine, and has been broken down by bacteria in the large intestine. Feces contain a relat ...
". Using a glossmeter
A glossmeter (also gloss meter) is an instrument which is used to measure specular reflection
Specular reflection, or regular reflection, is the mirror-like reflection of waves, such as light, from a surface.
The law of reflection state ...
, they measured gloss levels substantially higher than the value of 70 gloss units, which is considered "high gloss". Savage's 106-gloss unit ''dorodango'' used an ostrich's feces, while Hyneman's 183-gloss unit specimen used a lion's feces. They therefore deemed the myth "busted".
In episode 14, " Footsteps", of the anime
is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japanese, (a term derived from a shortening of ...
series ''Your Lie in April
is a Japanese romantic drama manga series that was written and illustrated by Naoshi Arakawa, and has been adapted into an anime television series, a live-action movie, a light novel, and multiple stage productions. The manga was seri ...
'', the character Tsubaki Sawabe polishes a ''dorodango'' to show to the protagonist, Kousei, in a flashback sequence. However, it falls apart sometime during the sequence before she can show Kousei, representing her feelings for Kousei in the present day.
In Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town, Popouri gives the main character a dorodango as a gift.
See also
*Mud pie
Making a mud pie is a children's activity or game that consists of creating a mixture of water and soil and playing or pretending to make food or a pie. Mud pies are not meant to be eaten, although they can be thrown in the face. A broader ca ...
References
External links
{{commonscat"Shiny Mud Balls: Kyoto Professor Taps into the Essence of Play"
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William Gibson
William Ford Gibson (born March 17, 1948) is an American-Canadian speculative fiction writer and essayist widely credited with pioneering the science fiction subgenre known as ''cyberpunk''. Beginning his writing career in the late 1970s, hi ...
, TATE Magazine)Bruce Gardner's dorodango
Children's street culture Sculpture techniques Japanese games Japanese words and phrases