Daruma!! I have one!!
Last edited Thu Dec 26, 2013, 08:03 PM - Edit history (1)
The best part about New Years for me is having a new Daruma!. What you do, is if you need something, you color in one eye. When you get it you have one more chance to color in the second eye for something else you want. This looks exactly like mine:
Here is some more info about Daruma:
"The Daruma doll , also known as a Dharma doll, is a hollow, round, Japanese traditional doll modeled after Bodhidharma, the founder of the Zen sect of Buddhism. These dolls, though typically red and depicting a bearded man (Dharma), vary greatly in color and design depending on region and artist. Though considered an omocha, meaning toy, Daruma has a design that is rich in symbolism and is regarded more as a talisman of good luck to the Japanese. Daruma dolls are seen as a symbol of perseverance and good luck, making them a popular gift of encouragement. The doll has also been commercialized by many Buddhist temples to use alongside goal setting."
more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daruma_doll
Daruma are best purchased for the 1st of the year. I have three actually. One is a keychain and made of metal. Another is the normal Papier Mâché style that is small and a larger one. Its nice to have an extra on hand for those emergency wishes! Do they work? Hmmm, sometimes.
This must be someones colletion, notice the eyes are colored in. You can not make a wish without coloring in the eye.
You can find these on amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2/192-9076806-6177729?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=daruma
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I'll post a picture of it later. I bought it at the Tenmanguu Shrine in Mitsukaido (now called Joso City), Ibaraki, Japan. Here is a picture of the shrine. I actually got a lot of stuff there, including o-mamori for traffic safety and getting rid of bad luck.
It's really hard to find the first time, though. If I can find it, it's also supposed to be good for getting rid of bad luck.
It is the Mito Toshogu Shrine in Mito, about halfway between Tokyo and Fukushima Dai-ichi. The earthquake was so strong in Mito that it caused the retainer wall of the parking lot to collapse, crushing several cars.
It's affiliated with the Ise Shrine and is located a short walk from Ueno Station in Tokyo.
Ichinoya Shrine. Unfortunately, it's still just an exterior shot.
In the meantime, it's off to another shrine 
By the way, I'm still trying to think of a wish for my Daruma 
It's affiliated with the Hachiman sect. It's just a neighborhood shrine, and the interior was not visible from the outside. It's not actually the one I was looking for today, which is not represented accurately on the two maps that I have tried to use. That one is really tough to find, even though it looks like it would be relatively easy to find. I gave up looking for it again today, maybe I'll find it another day.
Anyway, here's a small Hachiman Jinja shrine in Yawara:
This is its torii 鳥居 :
The doors were locked, but I was able to get some shots of the interior because the lights were on.
In the meantime, here are some more shrine pictures
and a yakuyoke talisman (厄除守り
for getting rid of bad luck:
Peking Duck!!