Daruma in Pop Culture: How a Monk's Doll Went Global
You may have met a daruma without knowing it. It might have been a round, red, scowling Fire-type Pokémon, a candidate painting in a second eye on election night, or a stern, limbless monk tattooed on someone's forearm. The face is easy to recognize, and the message behind it is easy to remember: keep going.
Quick answer: The daruma doll, based on the monk Bodhidharma, took its familiar form in Japan's Edo period. It then travelled abroad through Japanese communities, souvenirs and design, and now appears in Pokémon, sports, fashion and tattoos. Its message, perseverance, or "fall seven, rise eight," has travelled with it.
A daruma is a round, weighted doll in the image of Bodhidharma, the monk credited with bringing Chan (Zen) Buddhism to China in the 5th or 6th century. Its owner paints in one eye when setting a goal and the second when it is achieved. The doll itself is much younger than the monk. It took its familiar form and spread across Japan during the Edo period.
Here is how it travelled from temple fairs to screens and streets around the world, and what we think of that journey at Shirakawa Daruma Sohonpo, a 14th-generation daruma workshop in Shirakawa, Fukushima.
How Did Daruma Begin as a Folk Tradition?
For most of its history, the daruma stayed local. Each region developed its own style. Takasaki in Gunma is the best-known production area, and Shirakawa in Fukushima has its own distinct look. People bought a daruma at a New Year daruma fair, often held at a temple, painted in one eye while setting a goal, and returned the doll to the temple at the end of the year to be ceremonially burned (daruma kuyō).
Foreign awareness began slowly. It likely traveled first with Japanese communities abroad, in places such as Hawaii, California and Brazil. Later, visitors to Japan, including servicemen after the war, brought daruma home as souvenirs. As Japanese design drew more attention overseas in the following decades, the doll became easier to find outside Japan. Then it met animation.
How Does Daruma Show Up in Anime, Manga and Games?
Pokémon is the clearest case. Darumaka and its evolution Darmanitan are named after the daruma, and you can see why: a round, weighted body, a fierce brow, and a refusal to stay down. They debuted in Generation V (Pokémon Black and White, released in Japan in 2010). Darmanitan even has a "Zen Mode," a nod to the meditating monk behind the doll.
Naruto never needs a daruma on screen to make the connection. A hero who fails, gets up and tries again is the "fall seven times, rise eight" spirit (nanakorobi yaoki) in human form. That is our reading, not a claim about any particular scene.
Daruma also live in everyday Japanese play. Daruma-san ga koronda is a children's game Japanese kids play much as others play "Red Light, Green Light," and daruma otoshi is a classic stacking toy. In anime and manga, a daruma on a shelf is often a quick visual signal for determination or a wish about to be made.
Why Does Daruma Appear in J-Pop and Music?
Daruma imagery turns up from time to time in album art, stage sets and tour merchandise. The silhouette is instantly readable, the red is bold, and the face photographs well. The message fits in two words: do not quit. For many listeners abroad, it is also a small, friendly doorway into Japanese visual culture.
What Does Daruma Mean in Sports and Elections?
The "fall seven, rise eight" idea suits sport, and the eye-painting ritual suits it even better: set a target, paint one eye, and finish the job when the goal is met.
- Teams and athletes in Japan sometimes keep a daruma through a season or a qualifying campaign, painting the second eye when the goal is reached.
- Election campaigns are the most public example. Candidates often paint in the first eye when they launch and the second when they win, and the scene regularly appears in Japanese news coverage.
Which eye goes first differs between regions and traditions. What matters is that the two steps stay separate: first the goal, then the achievement. The same bold look has made the daruma popular far from the stadium, too.
How Has Daruma Influenced Fashion and Design?
Designers like the daruma for the same reasons musicians do: a bold shape, strong color and an expressive face. You will find it in graphic tees, embroidered jackets, stationery and homeware.
Design has also given the tradition a playful side. At our workshop, we paint daruma in forms such as the Lucky Cat daruma and the Strawberry daruma. Amabie, a folkloric spirit said to protect against epidemics, also reached a much wider audience in 2020, and it appears as an Amabie daruma.
Why Is Daruma a Popular Tattoo?
The daruma is a popular subject in Japanese-style tattooing. The meaning is clear and personal: perseverance, and a goal seen through to the end. It also carries real Buddhist roots, so the best tattoos come from people who have taken the time to learn what the figure stands for.
(For more on this, see our dedicated Daruma Tattoo Meanings guide.)
Is the Spread of Daruma Abroad Appreciation or Appropriation?
As a 14th-generation daruma maker, here is my view, stated plainly.
The daruma's spread does not feel like harmful appropriation to me. Symbols travel, and this one has been traveling beyond Japan for decades. In most of the uses we come across, the original meaning, perseverance and "fall seven, rise eight," is still recognizable.
Where it goes wrong:
- The doll is shown with both eyes already filled in, which leaves nothing to set and nothing to fulfill
- It is used purely as decoration, with no acknowledgment of what it means
- Cheap mass-produced versions undercut the craftspeople who keep the tradition alive
The way to honor the tradition while enjoying it: buy from real Japanese makers, learn the meaning, and use it as intended.
How Far Has Daruma Actually Reached?
No one tracks how many people worldwide have seen a daruma, and we would rather not quote numbers we cannot source. What we can say with confidence:
- Pokémon has carried the daruma's name and silhouette to players in many countries, most of whom have no idea where Darumaka comes from.
- The eye-painting ritual is visible in Japanese news every election and in many sports stories, so the idea of "one eye now, one eye later" is widely known inside Japan.
- The meaning travels well. It takes one sentence to explain a daruma, and most people remember it.
That reach has consequences for the people who make daruma by hand.
What Does Global Popularity Mean for Traditional Daruma Makers?
For traditional daruma makers like our family workshop, global popularity cuts both ways. Demand has grown, and international customers now make up a significant portion of our orders. At the same time, mass-produced "daruma" from non-Japanese sources flood the market.
The tradition continues when people connect with authentic makers. When you are choosing a daruma, look for a hand-painted face, a named workshop, and a clear answer about where it was made. A hand-painted daruma from Fukushima helps keep a 300-year tradition alive.
What Is the Daruma's Next Chapter?
Daruma will keep turning up in new places. What matters is that the meaning travels with it. As long as someone, somewhere, is painting an eye and setting a wish, the tradition is alive.
Key takeaways
- Bodhidharma, the monk behind the daruma, is credited with bringing Chan (Zen) Buddhism to China in the 5th or 6th century, but the doll took its familiar form in the Edo period.
- Darumaka and Darmanitan, named after the daruma, debuted in Generation V (Pokémon Black and White, released in Japan in 2010), and Darmanitan has a "Zen Mode."
- The eye-painting ritual has two separate steps: paint one eye when setting a goal, and the second when it is achieved.
- Traditionally, a daruma is returned to the temple at the end of the year to be ceremonially burned (daruma kuyō).
- When choosing a daruma, look for a hand-painted face, a named workshop, and a clear answer about where it was made.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a daruma doll?
A daruma is a round, weighted doll based on Bodhidharma, the monk credited with bringing Chan (Zen) Buddhism to China. People paint in one eye when setting a goal and the second when they achieve it.
Is Darumaka from Pokémon based on the daruma?
Yes. Darumaka and its evolution Darmanitan are named after the daruma. They share its round, weighted body, fierce brow and refusal to stay down. They debuted in Generation V in 2010.
How can I tell if a daruma is authentic?
Look for a hand-painted face, a named workshop, and a clear answer about where it was made. Buying from real Japanese makers also supports the craftspeople who keep the tradition alive.
Featured Daruma
If this article made you want a daruma of your own, each of these is hand-painted in our Fukushima studio:
- Traditional DARUMA — the classic form, a good first daruma for setting a goal
- Amabie DARUMA — the protective spirit that resurfaced in 2020
- Kimono DARUMA — a more decorative take on the tradition
Continue Reading
- What is Shirakawa Daruma? A 300-Year Tradition
- Daruma Tattoo Meanings Guide
- Nana Korobi Ya Oki: The Philosophy of Falling 7, Rising 8
Use code DARUMA10 for 10% off your first order.
Written by the team at Shirakawa Daruma Sohonpo, hand-painting daruma in Shirakawa, Fukushima for 14 generations.