The Shishi-Odoshi was originally used by Japanese farmers to scare away deer and wild boar from the rice crops, and later became part of many Japanese gardens. The regular hollow knocking sound combined with the sound of running water complements the serenity of Japanese gardens today, As water flows into the end of the Shishi-Odoshi the pivoted length of bamboo becomes full of water. The weight of water then causes the pivot to tip forward, emptying the contents back into the pool, whilst the hollow rear end hits a conveniently placed rock when it returns to its primary position. This causes the regular knocking sound which is very effective at scaring away animals.This will be an interesting additional to my japan themed living room, even thought I have no space for a garden, maybe just a small indoor one. Here a video for a better understanding...
