I’m sure you often see this daruma doll in Japanese anime and movies. Why do Japanese people like this mysterious round bearded man?

The model of the daruma is actually Master Daruma, the founder of the Zen sect of Buddhism. Zen is a philosophy that has had a great influence on Japan, and thus Master Daruma is very well known in Japan as a great man of integrity and perseverance.

Legend says that his hands and feet rotted off after nine years of 座禅 zazen (sitting meditation) facing the wall, and the current daruma doll was made in this image. Despite the cute appearance of the dolls, the legend is quite scary.

In the Edo period, daruma dolls were placed to ward off evil spirits and prevent illnesses, but today there are more varieties and colors, and they have become lucky charms that help make some wishes come true.

During the smallpox epidemic in the Edo period (1603-1867), many people went blind from the aftereffects of the disease and the culture of painting the eyes of your daruma dolls was born in hopes to prevent this. Even today, the custom of painting the right eye when making a wish, and the left eye when the wish is granted still remains.

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