The Amabie DARUMA — Japan's Legendary Spirit Protecting Against Illness
The Amabie DARUMA — Japan's Legendary Spirit Protecting Against Illness
In the spring of 2020, a strange creature from 19th-century Japan suddenly reappeared everywhere — on social media, hand-drawn on shop windows, printed on masks, and even officially adopted by Japan's Ministry of Health as a public symbol. Her name is Amabie (アマビエ), and her story is one of Japan's most remarkable pieces of folklore — a 175-year-old prophecy that returned exactly when the world needed it most.
At our workshop in Shirakawa, Fukushima, we've brought this legendary spirit to life in a new form: the Amabie DARUMA, combining 300 years of daruma craftsmanship with Japan's beloved protective yokai.
The Legend: A Spirit from the Sea of Kumamoto
The story of Amabie begins on a spring night in May 1846, on the coast of Higo Province (modern-day Kumamoto, Kyushu).
A mysterious glowing figure is said to have emerged from the sea, and when local officials came to investigate, they met a strange creature with:
- A beak like a bird
- Long flowing hair
- Three fish-like legs
- Scales that glowed in the moonlight
The creature introduced herself: "I am Amabie, living in the sea."
She then delivered a prophecy:
"A bountiful harvest will come for the next six years.
But if disease should spread among the people,
draw my likeness and show it to those who fall ill —
and they will be saved."
With that, she returned to the sea.
The encounter was recorded in a Kawaraban (a woodblock-printed news sheet) that was distributed throughout Japan. That print survives today in the collection of Kyoto University — a single, faded image of a strange mermaid-creature, preserved for 175 years.
Why Amabie Returned in 2020
For most of her existence, Amabie was a historical curiosity — one of thousands of yokai (supernatural beings) in Japan's rich folkloric tradition. Then came March 2020.
As COVID-19 began spreading globally, a Twitter user in Japan posted Amabie's image along with her prophecy. Within days, artists across Japan were drawing their own versions. The hashtag #amabie went viral. Bakeries made Amabie-shaped bread. Children drew her for their grandparents. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare officially adopted her as a public awareness symbol.
In a country deeply connected to folk tradition, Amabie became the spiritual mascot of the pandemic — a symbol of hope, protection, and the idea that ancient wisdom still has something to offer in modern times.
The Amabie DARUMA: A Meeting of Two Traditions
When the Amabie phenomenon swept Japan, we in Shirakawa saw an opportunity to do what daruma craft has always done: give physical form to the hopes of ordinary people.
Our Amabie DARUMA combines:
- The traditional rounded daruma body — symbolizing perseverance and rising up after falling
- Amabie's distinctive features — long hair, gentle beak, scale patterns
- Hand-painting by master craftsmen — each one unique
- Auspicious colors — green for vitality, pink for kindness, purple for wisdom
Each Amabie DARUMA is both:
- A daruma — meaning you can make a wish on it (fill in one eye, make your wish, fill in the other when it comes true)
- An amabie — a traditional charm believed to protect against illness
Choosing the Right Amabie DARUMA
Our Amabie DARUMA comes in three colors and two sizes, each with its own meaning:
Colors
🟢 Green Amabie — for health and vitality. Green in Japan represents growth, recovery, and the life-force. Perfect for:
- Someone recovering from illness
- A new parent
- A gift for medical workers
- Yourself, when you want to invest in your wellbeing
🌸 Pink Amabie — for kindness and love. Pink represents warmth, compassion, and soft strength. Perfect for:
- A partner or spouse
- A close friend going through a hard time
- Family members you want to protect
- A spring wedding gift
💜 Purple Amabie — for wisdom and spiritual protection. Purple in Japanese culture is the highest color — historically reserved for imperial nobility. Perfect for:
- A teacher or mentor
- An elderly parent
- Someone you deeply respect
- Yourself, for important life decisions
Sizes
Medium (M) — 10cm, 180g. A substantial presence on a shelf or altar. Small (S) — 7cm, 75g. Perfect for a desk, car dashboard, or travel companion.
How to Use Your Amabie DARUMA
1. Choose your color based on what you most wish to cultivate in your life. 2. Decide on a wish or intention. This could be a specific wish ("may my mother recover from her illness") or a general intention ("may my family stay healthy this year"). 3. Fill in the right eye (from your perspective looking at the daruma) with a black marker or brush. This is the traditional starting point. 4. Display prominently. Many Japanese families place their Amabie DARUMA in the entryway (to ward off illness from entering the home), the kitchen (the heart of the home), or near a family altar. 5. Speak to it occasionally. This isn't religious — it's a way of reaffirming your intention. 6. When your wish is fulfilled, fill in the left eye with gratitude.
The Deeper Meaning
In Japan, we believe that hope itself is a kind of medicine. The Amabie story isn't about literal protection from disease — it's about what happens when a community comes together around a symbol of care.
When you display an Amabie DARUMA in your home, you're doing what people in Japan have done for 175 years: saying, silently but clearly, "I am thinking of those I love. I am hoping for their wellbeing."
That intention matters. It changes how you move through your day. It reminds you, every time you pass it, of the people and values you most cherish.
Handcrafted in Fukushima, Shipped Worldwide
Every Amabie DARUMA in our shop is:
- Handmade in Shirakawa, Fukushima — a town rebuilding its tradition after the 2011 earthquake
- Individually hand-painted — no two are alike
- Carefully packaged for international shipping
- Accompanied by a card explaining the Amabie legend in English
When you buy from us, you're also supporting a 300-year craft tradition in a region that is still recovering from the triple disaster of 2011. Every purchase helps keep Japanese artisans in business and folklore alive.
Shop the Amabie DARUMA collection →
---
Have a question about the Amabie legend, daruma tradition, or choosing the right one? Comment below or contact us. Every daruma has a story, and we love helping customers find the one that speaks to them.
Featured Daruma
Bring home the daruma you've been reading about — each one is hand-painted in our Fukushima studio:
Continue Reading
Use code DARUMA10 for 10% off your first order.