Daruma, Japan

Hello there! If you are new here, you might want to subscribe to the RSS feed for updates on this topic.

Daruma are Japanese good luck charms. Tradition says that you fill in the right eye first while thinking of a wish and later, if your wish comes true you colour in the second eye.

: Looks interesting

We came across this Daruma doll recently that made us laugh. Not only were the eyes quickly filled in but the Daruma sprung to life with arms and legs!!

: Daruma Costume

What about this? Think this Daruma has a life of its own!

: Peace

Unlike the above photos Daruma are not supposed to have arms or legs of course. They sit in a meditative pose with large, staring eyes and no eyelids. And when knocked on their sides, they pop back up to their original upright position. As a result of this resilience! Daruma became a symbol of optimism, good fortune and determination in Japan.

: New Daruma are quite often bought once a year

They come in many different sizes.

Many Daruma are made in Takasaki. This is in the South West region of Japan. The industry of Daruma-making particularly took hold in the late 17th century as a relief measure for farmers, suffering from famine.

It’s interesting to see that throughout history, in times of recession, people have had to be resourceful.
The Daruma have obviously stood the test of time…. and are still popular today. These days this area makes about 1.6 million darumas annually, accounting for about 80% of all darumas made in Japan.

Take a look at this video clip. The background music is a little disconcerting – but the video clip is worth a look through if you are interested in how Daruma dolls are made.