⎯⎯ Since 1783 · 14th Generation

Fall seven,
rise eight.

Born in 1783 during the great Tenmei famine — when Lord Matsudaira Sadanobu asked the painter Tani Bunchō to design a charm that would keep people standing. For nearly 300 years, every Shirakawa daruma has been painted by hand with five auspicious creatures: crane, turtle, pine, plum, and bamboo.

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Shirakawa Daruma Sohonpo · the moment the red brush goes in
Hand-painted by the 14th generation
Fig. 01 — Painting the first eye, Shirakawa studio
— Nakata Kōji, IV
"You aren't painting a face. You are painting the moment
someone decides what they want from the year."
p. 04 — the craft
02 — The Journal

Letters from Shirakawa.

Read all →
Nov 3
Shichi Go San Japan: Why Kids Carry Thousand-Year Candy
Nov 2
Paint Your Own Daruma? Learn the One-Eye Ritual First
Nov 2
The Graduation Gift Japan Finishes With a Second Eye
Nov 1
Mingei Japanese Folk Art Explained and Why It Matters
03 — Eight stages, one doll

From river clay to red lacquer.

Inside the studio →