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IMAI DARUMA

IMAI DARUMA
Field:
Papier-Mâché Goods Manufacturer
Location:
Takasaki-city, Gunma

IMAI DARUMA

Products

Imai Daruma

The Daruma doll endures as one of Japan's most popular talismans. Dear to the hearts of the Japanese, Daruma reflect their determined spirit and peaceful outlook on life. Daruma came into existence in Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture in the late seventeenth century as a relief measure for famine stricken farmers. The story goes that the Daruma Temple instructed farm households to make papier-mâché dolls as a way of earning a little extra income. In line with the original seventeenth century concept, modern, stylish Imai Daruma Dolls are designed to bring happiness, health, good fortune, etc. Eco-friendly and handmade in the traditional way using recycled paper (papier-mâché), these fabulous pieces look great in both modern and traditional home and office interiors.
IMAI DARUMA

Daruma (Original)

Daruma’s (or Dharma) Zen roots go back 1500 years to Bodhidharma, the monk credited with establishing Chan Buddhism in China and Zen Buddhism in Japan. Typically made of papier-mâché, traditional Daruma are red, hollow and round, and represent the silhouette of Bodhidharma in deep meditation, sitting in the customary zazen position with his legs folded under his body. Traditional Daruma have ‘crane’ shaped eyebrows with facial hair drawn in the shape of a turtle, symbolizing longevity. They are also 'blind', the idea being to paint in the left eye when making a wish, then when it has been granted, to paint in the right eye. The five colors of Daruma represent different forms of aspiration - Generally speaking, the LARGER the doll, the BIGGER the aspiration. Red: Luck and good fortune. Purple: Good health and longevity. Yellow: Security and protection. Gold: Wealth and prosperity. White: Love and harmony.
IMAI DARUMA

Hirohisa Imai

Shop Owner
Hirohisa Imai
Hirohisa Imai is the third generation proprietor of Imai Daruma, a long-standing family business with an 80-year history. Having inherited a singular determination to preserve and pass on the Daruma tradition, Imai’s Takasaki City based workshop (Imai Daruma) is at Japan’s center of production. While continuing to create his much loved original Daruma in the traditional way, Imai designed and developed both the innovative Designer’s Daruma and the Japan Aid Representative, ‘JAPAN Daruma’. Daruma are closely associated with ‘nana korobi yaoki’, a Japanese proverb meaning that if you ‘fall down seven times, get up eight’. Representing this persistence, the doll's rounded shape makes it return to its original position when knocked over, and in so doing remind us to never give up on our aspirations.
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