Shigeta-Dharma: Japanese Daruma doll, Takasaki, good fortune, ornament, traditional craft, height 15cm, size 3, red.

Product description:

The entire shape of this Takasaki Daruma doll is rounded, giving it a full-bodied appearance. The eyebrows represent a crane and the beard a tortoise.

The Takasaki Daruma is also known as a 'lucky daruma', 'lucky daruma' or 'wishing daruma'.

The Daruma is a guardian deity for family safety, and also has the meaning of sevenfold and eightfold prosperity, and it is customary to put one's eyes into the Daruma to make a wish.

The Daruma doll is also known as a 'wish-fulfilment Daruma', meaning 'seven falls and eight rises'.

Safety warning.

As this product is individually handmade by craftsmen, there may be variations in size and facial features. Please be aware of this.

The base is made of clay. Strong impacts may cause damage.

Material: Paper, paint, clay (base)

Size: 15 cm high, 14 cm wide, 11 cm deep.

Country of origin: Japan (Takasaki, Gunma)

Colour Red

Size No. 3

Manufacturer Shigeta Dharma

Product size 14 x 6.3 x 15 cm; 150 g

Packing weight 0.15 kg

Regarding how to dispose of Daruma dolls, these are some of the options available.

・Ask for burning at a temple

・Have a temple or shrine make a memorial service and dispose of it

・Make offerings for disposal at Dondo-yaki (an event to burn sacred ropes and square pine trees used during the Japanese New Year) and Daruma fairs.

・Make a memorial service by yourself and dispose of it as rubbish.

・Ask a waste collection company to dispose of it.

My recommendation is to mail it to the temple where the Daruma decoration originated in Japan and ask them to dispose of it according to their method. As it is a temple, you basically don't have to pay anything other than the postage, unless you want to donate it yourself.

Information on Daruma temple in Japan is quoted below.

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Daruma Temple "Daruma Memorial Service"

Daruma-dera Temple is a temple of the Ōbaku school of Zen Buddhism in Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture, famous as the birthplace of the 'lucky daruma', which is considered a Takasaki speciality, and its mountain name is Shorinzan.

The ninth generation Zen monk Tōgaku carved a wooden model based on the Zen monk Shin-etsu's painting of ”One-Stroke Seated Daruma(a Zen priest) Zazen Statue" and taught the villagers how to make a daruma doll in order to help them out of poverty caused by the Great Famine (1783-1787), which is said to be the origin of the lucky daruma.

Daruma dolls began to be sold on lucky days as a good-luck charm, and this developed into the 'Nanakusa Taisai Daruma Market' held every year on 6 and 7 January.

As the birthplace of the Daruma doll, Daruma memorial services are held at Daruma-dera Temple.

*Offerings other than nameplates, talismans and Daruma dolls are not accepted.

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Daruma-dera Temple :

296 Hanadaka-machi, Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture Japan / Zip#370-0868