Ask John: What is the Bamboo Fountain Often Seen in Anime?

Question:
I’ve seen in many, many, many anime this sort of bamboo thing were water falls in it and then it just bounces back and forth, what is the name and what’s its purpose?

Answer:
What you’re referring to is called a “deer chaser.” It’s named such because the sound it makes when the bamboo tube strikes a rock is supposed to scare away deer from intruding into and feeding on carefully tended gardens. More often, though, the deer chaser fountain is found in Japanese gardens, and summarily anime, because it evokes a sense of tranquility and tradition. Especially in anime, the staccato abruptness of its sound is often used as a scene transition or sort of subtle, aural exclamation point.