The Daruma dolls

2019年 04月10日



Have you ever seen a small rounded paper statue called Daruma? The Daruma represents a bearded man in vivid colours, in most cases, they are red. It is a symbol of perseverance and good luck in Japanese tradition. 


The origin of Daruma can be found in the temple of Daruma in the city of Takasaki in Gunma prefecture (in the north of Tokyo). They are made firstly as protective amulets for the new year and the face is inspired from the Bodhidharma, the founder of Buddhism Zen.

 


In the legend of Bodhidharma, he meditated without closing the eyes and without moving his body for 9 years so that he lost the arms and legs because he did not use them. That is why the Daruma's eyes are widely opened and he has no arms or legs. 

The Daruma became very popular from the beginning of the creation of the doll, and it became quickly a mascot of the region. There is now female version of Daruma called Hime-Daruma and in many different colours. The colour signifies a meaning: green is for the health, bleu is for the study, etc.
 


Because of its shape, it returns to an upright position when tilted over which is a symbol of perseverance: How many times that we fall, we get up to acheive the object.

The Daruma is often illustrated alongside the phrase "Nanakorobi Yaoki", translated to mean "seven times down, eight times up".


The eyebrows and the beard of the doll also have the important meanings: the designs of eyebrows are in the shape of the crane, and the beard is drawn as a turtle shell. As an old Japanese proverb says, the crane lives 1000 years and the turtle lives 10000 years. Those 2 animals are the symbols of good luck and longevity.

 



How to use a Daruma?

The eyes of Daruma dolls are blank when sold. We put a pupil when you set a goal, and we put the second pupil when it realized.

In this way, every time we see the one-eyed Daruma, we recall the goal.

One year after, the Daruma doll must be burnt for releasing the promises even if we did not achieve the goal.

We can find the Daruma everywhere in Japan and it is a good idea to bring back one as a souvenir. It is traditionally handpainted, and an each Daruma has a unique face.



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