Daruma: The Japanese Art of Never Giving Up
There is a small round figure sitting on desks and windowsills across Japan. It stares at you with one painted eye — the other deliberately left blank. It cannot sit still; push it over and it rights itself again and again. It carries a 200-year-old promise: set a goal, fill in one eye, and do not fill in the other until you have earned it.
This is Daruma. And it may be one of the most quietly powerful objects in the world.
Where it begins: Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture
The Takasaki daruma has a history of more than 200 years. The city of Takasaki in Gunma Prefecture, northwest of Tokyo, is the undisputed home of daruma production — responsible for the vast majority of all daruma made in Japan. Every January, the city holds one of Japan's most beloved festivals, where thousands gather to return their old daruma to temples, offer gratitude for the year's efforts, and begin again with a new one.
The daruma's unique design is rooted in legend and symbolism. Its limbless form comes from the tale that the monk credited with founding Zen Buddhism meditated for nine years so intensely that his arms and legs withered away. That's why daruma dolls are all head and torso: they represent unwavering focus and discipline.
Daruma are hollow, round, traditional Japanese dolls that are usually weighted at the bottom so no matter which way you place them, they spring back up — symbolic of overcoming adversity. This gives physical form to one of Japan's most enduring proverbs: nana korobi ya oki — fall seven times, rise eight.
The ritual of the eyes
What makes daruma unlike any other decorative object is that it asks something of you.
When you receive a daruma, you make a wish or set a goal, then colour in one of its blank eyes. The daruma stares at you — quite literally — until you have made that wish come true. Then you fill in the second eye to mark your success.
This is not passive decoration. It is an ongoing conversation between the object and its owner — a daily reminder of intention, a witness to effort, and eventually a quiet celebration of achievement. At the end of the year, many people return their daruma to temples in a ceremony of gratitude and renewal.
The left eye means the doll's left eye, not the eye on your left as you face it. Drawing in an eye signifies "opening of a daruma doll's mind's eye" — not just filling in a blank.
From sacred to contemporary
Since around 2010, modern daruma have started to appear. These retain the traditional shape but incorporate redesigned colours and patterns. "Designers' daruma" have become a popular interior design item.
Today daruma come in every colour, each carrying its own meaning. Red gives strength and energy. Gold brings financial success. Green relieves stress and improves mental and physical health. White represents hope and helps with problem solving. Purple calls forth creativity and inspiration.
This evolution from folk talisman to design object has made daruma accessible to a new generation — people who may not identify as spiritual but who deeply understand the value of setting intentions and staying committed to them.
Why Europe is ready
The timing could not be better.
Pinterest searches for "zen house" rose by 405 percent and "zen bathroom" by 200 percent between June 2023 and June 2024, highlighting a desire for tranquillity and clean lines in living spaces. Searches for "Japanese living room design" increased by 135 percent, indicating a growing interest in incorporating Japanese aesthetics into core living areas.
The Japandi aesthetic — where wabi-sabi meets hygge, blending Japanese minimalism with Scandinavian warmth — is capturing the global spotlight. European consumers, particularly in Scandinavia, are increasingly drawn to objects that carry meaning, story, and intention — not just objects that look beautiful.
In 2025, homeowners are seeking out artisans who create handmade furniture, ceramics, and textiles using traditional methods. The desire is not simply for Japanese aesthetics, but for Japanese values — patience, precision, the philosophy that every object deserves to be made well and to mean something.
Daruma speaks directly to this. It is not a souvenir. It is not decoration for decoration's sake. It is an object with a purpose, a ritual, and a story that resonates across cultures — because the desire to set goals and persevere is not Japanese or Nordic. It is human.
Global interest in well-being, goal-setting, and mindfulness has made daruma increasingly sought-after. Their design fits modern interiors and lifestyle trends.
Daruma in European life
In practice, daruma fits naturally into the way many Europeans already live. Place one on a desk as an intention for a new project. Give one to a friend starting a business, navigating a difficult year, or setting a personal goal. Use a collection of small daruma in different colours as a considered shelf display that tells a story without saying a word.
For corporate gifting, daruma offers something rare: an object with genuine cultural depth that is also highly personalised. Each recipient sets their own intention. Each daruma becomes unique to the person who holds it.
For interior design, contemporary daruma — particularly in muted whites, greys, and earth tones — sit beautifully in japandi spaces. Black, white, and red daruma painted with pigments made from crushed seashells to create a matte finish have become popular as objects used in interior design, made in the same way as normal Takasaki daruma but designed specifically for the global market.
What Tokyoslo believes
We work with daruma makers who understand that this tradition is not static. The best makers — whether rooted in the centuries-old Takasaki craft or reimagining daruma for a contemporary audience — share one thing: they make every daruma by hand, with intention, knowing that each one will eventually sit on a shelf somewhere in the world and remind its owner of something they are working towards.
That is worth crossing borders for.
Interested in bringing daruma into your space, your business, or your gifting programme? We would love to talk. tokyoslohouse@gmail.com