Daruma dolls
The big round red dolls look slightly intimidating, if you ask me. The colours invoke images of rage and inferno, the facial expressions are on a scale between grumpy and homicidal, and the lack of limbs make me fear there must be hidden powers in the body.
These are the Daruma dolls – the traditional hollow emblems of Japanese mysticism – and I have come to the place of their origin to learn more about these iconic figures.
Apparently they are not nearly a scary as they appear on first sight.
A few of hours northwest of Tokyo, in the city of Takasaki, is a temple called Syorinzan Darumaji. It is here, several hundred years ago, that the first Daruma dolls were made.
The priest of the temple made the original wooden carvings in the eighteenth century to give to the local people to bring them luck during a famine. They were based on the image of an old prophet from the sixth century who was the first patriarch of Zen in China before coming to Japan.
There’s not much information about whether the original Daruma dolls saved the people of Takasaki from the famine but, in some sense, they did bring the region good luck.
It started the craze of the dolls which still continues today – and the most popular ones are those made by the locals around the Daruma temple.
These days more than a hundred local farm families make almost two million of the dolls each year!
Japanese families traditionally buy Daruma dolls at the start of the year because they bring good luck. The ritual is to paint the left eye on the doll and make a wish… when it comes true, the right eye is painted on.
At the end of the year, regardless of the outcome, the dolls are burnt at a big ceremony.
(If I had one, I would make a wish that my doll had two eyes, just to see how the spirits handed this catch-22!)
This good luck charm has crept its way (how, with no arms or legs, I don’t know) into the fabric of Japanese society.
During election time, politicians will be photographed painting the first eye onto a Daruma doll…
The image has been turned into toys which are in bedrooms of youngsters all across the country…
And the annual festival at the start of the new year in Takasaki attracts more than 400,000 people.
Syorinzan Darumaji temple in Takasaki
You wouldn’t realise how big and important the Daruma doll is from visiting the temple in Takasaki, which is rather unassuming (other than the enormous sign pointing towards it from the highway).
It is just a small building up on a hill, about an hour’s walk from the city’s main train station.
On the morning I visit, there are only a few other people there. I pick up a brochure in English from the information centre and then climb a long stone staircase to get to the shrine at the top.
There are dolls – of all different sizes – everywhere around the temple and I love the look of them piled up on top of each other on a balcony.
A small one-room museum next to the main temple is filled with examples of Daruma dolls, from the very first woodblock designs right through to packets of instant noodles.
It doesn’t matter what form they come in, though, they always look grumpy. It’s the distinctive dour doll.
(Except for the instant noodles, it seems, because nobody wants cranky ramen.)
In the end I didn’t get one for myself. Who knows how it will affect my luck for the year. I just couldn’t get over how angry they look and didn’t want that following me around until next January!
Reminded of Russian dolls when I read the article. Imagine giving them to a kid and watching them burst out in tears. Enough to give them nightmares!
You certainly wouldn’t want one sitting by your bed. Imagine waking up in the middle of the night, rolling over and having that stare at you in the dark! Yikes!
These dolls are adorable! And here I thought Kokeshi dolls were the most adorable Japanese dolls in existence. But does that one doll have real hair in its eyebrows?
Real hair? Hmmm… perhaps. That would make him even scarier in my books because it would make him part human. The idea of them coming alive and attacking us did cross my mind…
These are so cute. There are so many cute, adorable, and weird and scary characters in Japan, that i missed these ones on my journey.
I guess they are kind of cute in the grumpiness. These ones aren’t in public a lot (except around the Takasaki region). They’re more likely to be in people’s homes where they keep them for good luck during the year.
I’ve been to that temple and Takasaki last summer. It rained when I went there, but I really enjoyed it. There were so many different Daruma. 🙂
There are heaps, aren’t there? I didn’t realise it had been used as an image in so many things. I loved the ramen one… really cute!
Wow! So much variety within the theme.
Yeah, I know! And then you can add your own touch by painting the eye on as well. No two daruma dolls will ever be exactly the same!
Daruma dolls were quite popular up here in Scandinavia the 80s; nothing to do with wishes or luck or superstition here though, instead one eye was painted when you set some major task, then the other when you finished the task. More of a time management thing.
I guess that’s essentially the same idea as the Japanese have, it’s just a bit more practical. Trust the Scandinavians to take something so spiritual and make it about time-management!! 😉
At first, they reminded me of Russia nesting dolls. But you are right, mostly the faces look angry. Even though the faces on the noodles are smiling, the eyebrows make them look somewhat evil.
…and nobody likes crank ramen! 🙂
Japan has some interesting traditions. Though I imagine most of the western traditions are odd too seen from a different perspective.
I found this tradition really cute. I mean, the dolls and their grumpiness do scare me a bit, but it’s still a really sweet idea.
When I was a kid, I really thought that these daruma dolls are just for souvenirs and displays. I used to see a lot of it in my friend’s house; but then Japan really has a way of surprising people with its culture. If not for the mangas I read, I wouldn’t have known that this is actually something ‘religious’. Now, I really just want to paint an eye on a daruma. I really could use a wish right now.
I guess they do just look like dolls on first glance. I wouldn’t have known either if I hadn’t found out all about them at the temple. Perhaps you need to pop over to Takasaki and pick one up for yourself…
I’ve been going through your japan tag because I’m going there next year, and I loved this post. i’ll be getting one of these, for my wall.:D
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Ha – great! They are really cool little dolls, aren’t they? Make sure you draw on the eyes yourself if you’re going to get one!!
Hi – i have some question about daruma doll maybe someone can answer some of them (no need to andwer all) :
1 . THE most important question : where the hell are there turtle on the daruma doll face ??? i can see the cranes in the eyebrows – people say the mustache is turtles – but i cant see it !! where is the head ? where are the legs ? is it 1 turtle or 2 turtles ?
2 . some daruma dolls have writings on the sides of the face – what do they say ?
http://new.uniquejapan.com/lar…
3 . Also i plan to make and sell daruma dolls – does anyone know if they are a trademark or can i make and sell them freely ?
4 . why are the dolls angry looking – whats the explanation that is given for this ?
Hello, I stumbled upon your page because i’m interested in visiting Takasaki to see the birth place of the daruma doll. I appreciate your pictures and first hand experience. Personally i don’t think the doll looks angry, evil or grumpy, instead he is serious and meditating. As I understand it, he is a zen buddhist monk who is depicted sitting cross legged meditating, thats why his arms and legs aren’t shown. It is said that he reached enlightenment and he stayed in that seated position for 9 years and lost the use of his arms and legs. If you roll the doll over, it will always land right side up because it is weighted on the bottom. This is a symbol of the Japanese proverb – if you fall 7 times, get up 8 times, this is how you will reach your goal. A really great children’s book was written about the origin of the daruma doll – i think you will like it! “Yuko Chan and the Daruma Doll” http://www.tuttlepublishing.com/books-by-country/yuko-chan-and-the-daruma-doll-hardcover-with-jacket
you guys are crazy. The customer that doll says it all. Whether you think they’re ugly or not they have all good intentions and I made to bring good luck. I lost custody of my children for a year and a half. I went to Japan and bought a Daruma with one I painted and then went back to the states I then got custody of my children and I sense that your room a doll back to the temple which is what you’re supposed to do if your wish comes true. I can’t believe that anyone would find this dog so scary that they wouldn’t want to put it by the bedside at night. It’s just a doll with the sincerest wishes of innocence. If you’ve been to Japan and been to the temple you would realize how benign results are and how they can bring you good luck.
Do you have a photo of the earliest doll in thw museum? I’ve been trying to find the earliest design possible.