What is a Daruma? 

The Daruma is one of Japan’s most iconic symbols of perseverance and good fortune. Its origins go back to Bodhidharma, the Buddhist monk who founded Zen. Legend says he meditated for nine years until his arms and legs withered away—hence the doll’s round, limbless shape. 

Daruma dolls first spread in Japan during the Edo period. Because they always return to an upright position when tipped over, they came to embody the saying “fall down seven times, get up eight.” Today, people paint in one eye when making a wish, and fill in the other when it comes true. 

Found in many regions with unique local styles, Daruma remain a powerful symbol of resilience and hope across Japan. 

Futaba Daruma: Reviving a Town’s Tradition 

Like many other regions of Japan, Futaba Town in Fukushima Prefecture has long held a New Year’s Daruma market, with roots dating back to the Edo period. However, unlike other towns, Futaba once had no local Daruma of its own. About 30 years ago, the Women’s Division of JA Fukushima Sakura in Futaba established a Daruma group, designing and creating the original Futaba Daruma.

Today, the Futaba Daruma Market is a lively New Year’s tradition widely known throughout Fukushima Prefecture, and these handmade Daruma dolls have become indispensable to the local community.

In 2012, the year following the Great East Japan Earthquake, the Futaba Daruma Market—normally held on the second Saturday and Sunday of January—could not take place due to the town’s full evacuation. Yet, encouraged by the voices of people who still wished for Daruma, local women and other residents gradually came together. By 2013, they had resumed making Daruma and, though held outside the town, managed to organize the Futaba Daruma Market again.

In 2022, part of Futaba Town was designated as a Special Reconstruction and Revitalization Zone and the evacuation order was lifted. In January 2023, twelve years after the disaster, the Daruma Market finally returned to its original home in Futaba.

Looking ahead to the next Futaba Daruma Market, scheduled for January 10–11, 2026, the workshop at JA Fukushima Sakura’s Izumi branch in Iwaki has already begun production in early September. We recently visited the workshop to see the process firsthand.

Daruma dolls before their faces and patterns are painted. Can you see how each one already has a slightly different expression?

The painting begins with positioning the eyes, drawn first in red pigment. Since each Daruma has slightly different features, deciding exactly where to place the eyes is said to be the most challenging part.

The members of the Women’s Division divide roles among themselves—some outlining the eyes, others painting the patterns or facial features. With their practiced hands, the faces of the Daruma dolls take shape at an astonishing speed!

Almost every day, about 1,000 Daruma dolls are produced in time for the Daruma Market.

They come in seven different colors and range in size from charming, round 8 cm dolls to large ones standing 65 cm tall—each with its own unique character.

Did you find a favorite among them?

Traditionally, one paints the left eye of a Daruma to make a wish, and only when that wish is fulfilled does one paint in the right eye, as an expression of gratitude. In this way, Daruma symbolize both the bond between maker and owner, and the connection between wishes and thankfulness.

With hopes for the New Year and for recovery, the women of the JA Fukushima Sakura Futaba branch continue to carefully handcraft Futaba Daruma, day by day.