“Daruma?” You ask in a quizzical tone. You’ve likely come across the popular iconography in a Japanese home or restaurant. Or perhaps in a movie, manga or anima. But what do they mean and where do they come from? Why are they so special in Japanese culture?
Usually the dolls are small, red and hollow. They might appear to be angry at first glance. But upon deeper inspection they are quite beautiful with detailed meaningful symbols.
Daruma dolls are a good luck talisman in the Japanese culture. Usually, they are placed on a shelf in a business or in the home. Before the daruma is put on display, however, the owner must make a wish or set a goal to work towards in life. Once the wish is set, one of the eyes gets coloured in (either will do, but usually they start with the left). When the wish comes true or the goal is met, the other eye is coloured in. The dolls are typically purchased at the start of the year at a temple. Each year you start with a new daruma and you burn the old one: setting a new goal for the new year.
The daruma is based on the Bodhidharma, the Chinese Buddhist monk from the 5th century. He is said to have meditated for 9 years after which his arms and legs atrophied and fell off. For this reason, the Japanese daruma doll is a head and torso without limbs.
Red is associated with good luck, wealth and prosperity in Asian culture and hence the red dolls. But you can also buy them in different colours, the meaning does not change, it is just for more choice.
The daruma doll has kanji writing that reads “bringing luck” or fuku-iri.
Although the face of the daruma might look angry, the features are made of depictions of cranes and turtles. Cranes are believed to bring good luck and longevity. The same for turtles, as both live very long lives. Turtles are also a symbol of protection.
Daruma are not really about granting wishes, but rather a reminder of perseverance, focus and discipline. It is more a reminder of your own life goals. There is a popular Japanese idiom that ties to the daruma which loosely translates as “down seven times, but up eight.” The daruma on your shelf is a constant reminder to persevere through the hard times to achieve the goal which you have set.
