Are you looking to draw to your heart’s content? Want to try something creative that will immerse you in Japanese culture? If so, I definitely have a fun activity for you that ends with a cute little doll to take home—and it helps ward off evil spirits, too!
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I am not an artist by any means. Drawing has always been difficult for me. But I was really curious about the Japanese daruma doll and the importance behind making these cute little dolls (or in one case, a BIG doll—you’ll have to see below 😉).
I have seen daruma dolls, a good luck charm in Japan based on Bodhidharma (who founded Zen Buddhism), placed in front of different buildings when I go into stores and restaurants. You’ve probably noticed them all around Japan—or at least, you will notice them now after reading this article.
These round hollow papier-mâché dolls are created with the intention of warding off evil spirits and fighting off bad luck that may come, so they’re often a great gift for new businesses that are opening. The intense facial features you see on these daruma dolls reflect the same features that Daruma Daishi had when sitting down and doing zazen meditation (坐禅).
It’s so cool that these cute little dolls have such a deep meaning! It’s also awesome that you can choose your daruma color based on the wish or desire you have.
Here’s a mini breakdown of the different colors and what they mean:
✨✨✨Red is the usual color for these dolls as red is a special color in Asian culture. It is meant to bring about good fortune, business prosperity, well wishes for family, and wishes for peace and safety. Lots of great meanings packed into one single color.
A few other colors that you may be interested in:
• Blue: wishes for a promotion or success at work.
• Green: wishes for good health, convalescence, and improvement in sports.
• Gold: wishes for wealth and getting money in your pockets.
• Silver (or white/silver variation): wishes for a breakthrough from the status quo or major change.
• White: wishes for safe childbirth, achieving your goal, or realizing your passion/ambition.
The world is your oyster—and the two daruma facilities I went to (see below) explain all of the other colors when you go.
This newly opened store was my first introduction to learning about the historical background of darumas.
I had always seen these dolls, but I never knew what they were about until I went to this place. It was fun to watch a video and learn how these daruma dolls were actually made in a factory. It takes a lot of hard work to make even one of these daruma dolls.
I like that here they included a bunch of other information that other cultures consider lucky, such as angel numbers, numerology, information about manifestation—plus a lot of currently trending topics to help get the right vibration to get the desires you want.
I really wanted to paint as best I could, even though I’m artistically challenged. They offered both paint and markers to use, but I wanted to challenge myself so I only used paint for the features. Luckily, an actual daruma doll was placed in front of me to copy and I got a sheet of paper to practice on before I started painting, so I could enjoy taking my time doing the activity.
I had a lot of fun painting my daruma doll! I’m bad at painting, but I actually really enjoy doing it when I get the chance to haha. The atmosphere in this store was really calming and fun to paint in.
At first, I was putting a lot of pressure on myself to make it perfect, which was super difficult for me—especially when it came to drawing the left side of the face 😅. But as I started drawing more and decorating it how I wanted it to be, I relaxed and enjoyed myself. It also helped that there was Studio Ghibli music playing in the background, haha.
You’ll notice that I tried to make my daruma doll as close to the real one as I possibly could. That being said, you’re supposed to only color one eye when you make your wish. You color in the second eye when your wish has come true. ☺️
You can see some of the fun here:
https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSy1EDFM4/
My friend and I went to this activity together. The staff was very friendly as they greeted us and led us to the table we would be working at. We were able to learn more about the history, the meaning of the colors, and a few extra facts about how daruma dolls symbolize strength as they go by the saying “seven falls, eight rises” (七転び八起き).
They had lots of examples of creative works that other people drew of their favorite characters and their favorite cartoons. My favorite anime is Inuyasha, so I was thinking about it—but I thought it would be impossible for me to draw given how bad I am at drawing, lol. However, after I mentioned my love for Inuyasha, the staff was kind enough to print out an Inuyasha picture for me (that I still have hanging on my wall now!) so I could copy it.
From there, I started drawing Inuyasha and my friend started drawing her cat :). I like that this shop let us use markers here, so I had a bit more of a steady hand. It was very relaxed and casual~.
It took some time and a lot of great effort, but I was able to replicate Rumiko Takahashi’s Inuyasha art style fairly well in my opinion. What do you think?
My friend also drew her cat perfectly. So cute!
Check out how hard I worked on my Inuyasha Daruma here 🙂
https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSy1EDFM4/
I like that both of these experiences were the same activity—painting a daruma doll—but each had a completely different feel to them. At the Kyuhodo location, I was able to draw a cute little Inuyasha daruma that had the eyes of my favorite anime character. Meanwhile, at the DARUMA CLUB store, the owner recommended I try any art style I wanted—including anime or my favorite picture—but I really wanted to draw an authentic-looking daruma, especially since it was huge!
I think the combination of a big truly authentic daruma with a cute little protector next to it was the perfect combination for my daruma set. Whether you’re looking to try your best at drawing or just draw anything you want for fun, both locations are good for creating to your heart’s content.
Overall, both of these experiences were something I truly enjoyed and wanted to share with you. By far, they were one of the most fun activities that I did during the summertime in Osaka. This is definitely a great recommendation for travelers coming to visit Japan, as well as anyone living here, since it’s fun to do in-store and then take home a meaningful keepsake.
Stay happy, healthy, and creative! Please check out my other creative-themed articles. Until next time😉
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