One of the most popular Japanese good luck charms is the round, papier-mâché Daruma Doll. Its shape isn’t exactly a doll, because there are no hands or legs and the entire doll actually represents the head.

In fact, the Daruma Doll is a stylized representation of the legendary founder of Zen Buddhism, Bodhidharma, according to the legend which says that after 9 years of continuous meditation, sitting in zazen, his hands and legs were atrophied… The name of the dolls, “Daruma", comes from the Japanese version of the Sanskrit word Dharma, which in Buddhism represents the teachings of the Buddha.

Shorinzan Daruma Temple, Takasaki

EXIF Info:

Yesterday’s Japan Photo: Japanese gardens, Tsubo-niwa