Meoto Fuufu and Enmusubi

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Meoto Daruma and Takasago - 高砂
Daruma and a Happy Couple
fuufu Daruma 夫婦だるま

The Takasago Legend 高砂伝説
This legend is one of the oldest in Japanese mythology. An old couple - his name is Joo (尉) and hers is Uba (媼) known together as Jotomba - are said to appear from the mist at Lake Takasago. The old man and his wife are usually portrayed talking happily together with a pine tree in the background. Signifying, as they do, a couple living in perfect harmony until they grow old together, they have long been a symbol of the happiness of family life. The story is portrayed in a famous Noo play "Takasago no Uta":

At Takasago Shrine there is a very old pine tree, the trunk of which is bifurcated (相生の松); in it dwells the spirit of the Maiden of Takasago who was seen once by the son of Izanagi who fell in love and wedded her. Both lived to a very great age, dying at the same hour on the same day, and since then their spirits abide in the tree, but on moonlight nights they return to human shape to revisit the scene of their earthly felicity and pursue their work of gathering pine needles.

His pine tree is also called "The Pine of Sumi-no-e" (住吉の松) and hers is the Takasago pine (高砂の松). The old woman is using a broom to sweep away trouble and he carries a rake to rake in good fortune. In Japanese this is also a play of words with "One Hundred Years" (haku > sweeping the floor) and "until 99 years" (kujuku made > kumade, meaning a rake).

In Japan, at wedding ceremonies, the Takasago song is recited and Takasago figures are put on a special "Island Shelf" called called Shimadai (島台) together with auspicious Pine-Bamboo-Plum and Crane with Turtle decorations placed in the wedding room and presented to the bridal couple. Depictions of the Takasago figures can be made from lacquer, ceramics, wood carvings and textiles and are to invoke a long and fruitful married life for the newlyweds. These figurines are also given as presents for a wedding aniversary of 25 or 50 or more years. For the diamond wedding aniversary of 60 years, some communities also give Takasago Dolls to the happy couple.

Takasago city is located in Hyogo prefecture in Western Japan. It is situated on the Seto Inland Sea approximately 40 kilometers west of Kobe. The settlement that became Takasago city was established on the delta at the mouth of the Kako River. This river formation gave rise to the name of "taka" "sago" which literally means "high" "sand", a reference to the vast amounts of sand deposited at the mouth of the Kako River.

Takasago is well known as the birthplace of classical song "Yookyoku Takasago", which is a famous wedding song throughout Japan, and thus the town was declared as "The Bridal City Takasago" in 1988.



Takasago Shrine 高砂神社
. . . CLICK here for Photos !

According to the shrine's legend, when the Empress Jinguu returned in triumph from Korea, her ship stopped at Takasago port. She built a large shrine to maintain control of the country. Keep reading more about this old legend on the following HP.
神功皇后が韓国から戻ったとき、船が高砂に着いたといわれています。


. Jingu Kogo 神功皇后 and Japanese Dolls .

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Text of the famous Wedding Song Takasago 高砂や

高砂や、この浦舟に帆をあげて、この浦舟に帆をあげて、月もろともに出で潮の、波の淡路の島影や、遠く鳴尾の沖過ぎて、
はや住の江に着きにけり、
はや住の江に着きにけり。

Takasago Bay!
Raising the sail on this cable,
together with the moonrise, the rising tide.
See, the reflection of Awaji Island
bove the waves far past the offing at Naruo.
We have reached Sumi-no-e, already.
We have reached Sumi-no-e, already!


The Noo Play of Takasago 能の高砂
. . . CLICK here for Photos !

You find a full translation of the Noo Play (Noh Play) "Takasago" on the following HP.
http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/japanese/noh/TylTaka.html


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Collection Gabi Greve

Takasago Dolls -
as children, with masks of the old couple

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誰をかも知る人にせむ高砂の
松もむかしの友ならなくに

Tare o ka mo Shiru hito ni sen Takasago no
Matsu mo mukashi no Tomo nara naku ni

Who is still alive
When I have grown so old
That I can call my friends?
Even Takasago's pines
No longer offer comfort.

34 - Fujiwara no Okikaze 藤原興風

. Ogura Hyakunin Isshu Poems 小倉百人一首 .


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Takasago Dolls 高砂人形 Takasago Ningyoo

These figurines are usually a present for a wedding or wedding anniversary, as we have stated above. They are very carefully made and quite expensive, as suits the occasion. Usually the old man is placed on the left and the old lady on the right, as you face them. This is the traditional position for a pair at a wedding of the nobility. But lately at weddings the bride stands on the right side. Maybe this is a copy of the position of the Royal English Couple? Since olden times, the seat on the right has been the "Elevated Seat" (kamiza 上座) for the most noble person in the room. So maybe the position of the bride has changed in this way? We may only wonder who is the most important person at a wedding.

The groom says: "You will live until one hundred (haku made>using the broom), I will live until ninety nine (kujuku made>kumade>using the rake), together we will live happily until our hair turns white!"

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Takasago Dolls belong to the group of "Storytelling Dolls", depicting scenes of famous stories, actors, dancers or "tableaux" from familiar tales, often Noo plays.


Takasago Dolls of the Nara type -
Nara Ningyoo 奈良人形
Nara Dolls typically represent Noo actors. Small wooden Noo figures painted in vivid colours were first used to decorate the hats of priests and musicians at the Kasuga Shrine festival in Nara. Other well known subjects are represented by Nara dolls, such as Jo and Uba, the happy old couple of Takasago.

Trees growing close together or two stems from one trunk are also called "meoto".
Meoto sugi 夫婦杉 pines growing like a couple
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


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By chance I found a surprising Daruma item related to Takasago while writing this story.


Click on the photo to see the single figure.

At first it looks like some standing decoration figure, but as you might remember from the story about Sake pourers (Tokkuri) that the head comes off to become a little sake cup. This one is more wonderous. The head with the headband comes off and woo, there is a ladie's head beneath it. That one comes off too to bring you two cups for a happy couple.
Inside the head of Mr. Daruma we read:
"I will live until ninety-nine!" and
inside the head of Mrs. Daruma we read:
"I will live until one hundred!",
reminding us of the Takasago story and the hope that the wife will live just one year longer than her husband. The little tokkuri is just 11 cm high and nicely rounded to fit in a small hand.


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source :　kyoudogangu.xii.jp

Monkeys as the Takasago couple 高砂（申）
clay dolls from Nagoya


. Regional Folk Toys from Japan .


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Meoto Daruma 夫婦だるま　Mr. And Mrs. Daruma



MEOTO can also be read FUUFU and a memorial day for happy couples is the second day of the second month, 2月2日、since FU means TWO. Some hotels and restaurants also give special reductions for couples on the 22 of any month.
And if you blow on a hot soup in Japanese, your sound is: Fuu Fuu.





You buy them as a pair and keep them to remind you of the endurance and perseverance it takes to make a marriage sucessfull. They are sold at special temples and shrines dedicated to finding and keeping a partner for life. In some areas, dolls of the Daruma Couple are burned on the last day of the New Years festiviteis. Look at more pictures of this festival on January 14th.






I already introduced a nice couple in the story of Wakasa Laquer.
Wakasa Daruma ― 若狭　だるま Laquer and achate stone


A Daruma Couple is from the Great Shrine at Miwa.
In the large compounds of this shrine there is a sacred stone formation like a loving couple (meoto-iwa 夫婦岩)、and the gate leading to this stones is called "Gate of bringing together a loving couple" (enmusubi no torii 縁結びの鳥居). Our Daruma seems to be growing a beard, since his chin is colored in light gray. They are both made of papermachee, about 4 cm high and come in a little box.

You can learn more about this wonderful shrine and the legends of this old site on the following HP.
http://www.oomiwa.or.jp/eng.html


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A couple within a couple of kokeshi dolls




and some manekineko cat with a Daruma couple



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Next we have a couple from Arima Hot Spring near Kobe City.
Legend has it that the Arima Hot Spring was discovered by the ancient gods and that it was inherited from an era of myths and legends. The Arima Hot Spring is the oldest hot spring in Japan and the name of the Hot Spring itself dates back to at least the Man-yoohshuu, the oldest anthology of Japanese poetry.
The Daruma couple is made of wood and they are standing in front of a folding screen like at a wedding reception. They are about 2 cm high, the screen is 5 cm. Mr. Daruma's belly is painted in white lines, hers in red.
http://www.arima-onsen.com/
http://www.kinzan.co.jp/


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Once a merchant had hung up the Takasago figures at the top of his entrance. It was a prosperous sweet shop.
Then the house and shop moved, but the Takasago figures did not like it at all, so they had to be left at the entrance.


In Aomori a girl left her family home to become a bride and live with her husband and an old couple who looked just like the Takasago elders. When the bull turned back, after the girl had descended to go inside, in his footsteps delicious Sake begun to sprinkle over the road. The girl has first thought to open a Sake making shop but now she turned it into a Sake drinking pub.
The husband eventually divorced his wife, but the shop came into decline soon after that.

- source : nichibun yokai database -

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Enmusubi and more Happy Couples 　
縁結びだるま

If you are still looking for a good spouse, then you must pray to find a partner for life (enmusubi 縁結び). There are many shrines and temples in Japan specializing in this field of human activities and our Daruma sometimes comes as a go-between.



koimusubi 恋むすび　binding together in love
with a little fragrance bag (nioibukuro) to go!


There are lot of amulets and talismans for all kinds of problems in life. One of them is the "Enmusubi Daruma", which often comes as two little plastic Darumas with a little bell each. This one was purchased at Tsuruga Castle in Aizu Wakamatsu.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


There are some shrines in Japan, dedicated to happy couples.
Here are just a few samples.


from . Shrine Akama Jingu 赤間神宮 .


fuufu wago 夫婦和合　for a harmonious couple
fuufu omamori 夫婦守り happy couple amulet
ryooen jooju 良縁成就 to keep a good match

The Waka Poet
. Kakinomoto Hitomaro 柿本人麻呂 Hitomaru 人丸 / 人麿 .
is venerated as a Deity for Good Couples at
Hitomaru Jinja 人丸神社
in the compound of Ikuta Shrine 生田神社 .
兵庫県神戸市中央区下山手通1-2-1 Kobe



. wagoojin 和合神 Wago-Jin - Deity of conjugal harmony .
葛飾北斎 Hokusai - 萬福和合神 Manpuku Wago-Jin

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Shinzan Jinja 新山神社（夫婦神社）
夫婦松 Pine for a couple
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


Saifuku Meoto Jinja 齎福夫婦神社

Meoto Jinja in Osaka 大阪の夫婦神社

Meoto-Matsu at Akiba Jinja
Kasukabe no meoto matsu 春日部の夫婦松
Meoto-matsu, the married pine tree, is truly a natural wonder. A pine tree and maidenhair tree grow from a single trunk, branching out separately about a meter above ground. Meoto-Matsu was the sacred tree of Akiba-jinja Shrine.


. Izumo Taisha 出雲大社 Izumo Grand Shrine .
and the powerful enmusubi amulet


. Fushimi Inari Fox Shrine 伏見稲荷大社 .
Kyoto

. Hikawa Jinja 氷川神社 Saitama .

. Kifune Shrine 貴船神社 Kibune in Kurama .
Kyoto
むすび守袋型 Musubi bag form
むすび守文型 Musubi letter form


. . . . . and
. enkiri 縁切り　to cut the bonds with someone .



akuen kiri omamori 悪縁切御守 to cut bad partnership


. Wara ningyoo 藁人形 straw dolls for curses .

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八百万の縁結び
六所神社 Rokusho Jinja - Tottori

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CLICK for more photos !

縁結び不動明王 Enmusubi Fudo Myo-O
near Joojuu-in 成就院 Joju-In, Jojuin Kamakura
- reference -



. Fudō Myō-ō, Fudoo Myoo-Oo 不動明王 Fudo Myo-O
Acala Vidyârâja - Vidyaraja - Fudo Myoo .

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Doll for a Lucky Couple Fukumusubi no Ningyoo
福結びの人形

In the collection of old Japanese legends, Koojiki, we read the story of Emperor Nintoku who fell in love with a fair princess of the Kibi area (present day Okayama prefecture) and came all the way by ship from Kyoto to meet her. Remembering this sweet love we have a papermachee doll of one body with two faces.
You can buy one at Okayama station or other famous tourist places in the prefecture. If you get one you have to write your own name and the name of your beloved on two slips of paper, make a longlasting knot of the slips and hide them inside the doll while wishing for a happy future for the both of you. That should do the trick!




Here is one more special pair designed as ONE Daruma Doll with two faces. The producer, Mr. Nisaburo Yamashita had so many customers who wanted a male and female Daruma、 he decided to make it easier for them to buy just ONE doll.
両面だるま 　　山下仁三郎作
男達磨と女達磨


. Folk Toys from Okayama .

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Some Daruma Families だるま家族
Let us look at some happy Daruma families too, while we are at this subject.



Here is a group of Father, Mother and Child from Kibitsu Shrine, in the same area of Okayama prefecture as we have talked about above. They are made of clay (tsuchiningyoo 土人形) and are about 3 cm high. Father Daruma has a round face with only a round spot in the middle. Baby Daruma has a white bottom and both mother and child have very simple facial features. All three of them have a very heavy and broad bottom part. They are sold as a talisman for finding a partner, keeping one and having children with him. This talisman had been out of making for a while, but now you can get the funny family again.

. Shrine Kibitsu Jinja 吉備津神社 .

. Mingei Kukkii　みんげいクッキー　Mingei Folk Art Cookies .
Kibitsu Jinja Daruma 吉備津神社　だるま

. Folk Toys from Okayama .


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Kiyomizuyaki pottery from Kyoto


. WASHOKU - Meoto Tablewear for a happy couple 　


. Hashi 福だるま夫婦箸 Chopsticks for a happy couple ! 　


. WASHOKU
enmusubi manjuu 縁結び饅頭 rice cakes 　
from Izumo Shrine, Shimane



Couple’s Day (fuufu no hi, Japan) February 2
a KIGO


Daruma Museum

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土産に買ふめをとまんじゆう初聖天
miyage ni kau meoto manjuu hatsu shooten

as a souvenir I buy
rice cakes for a good couple -
first Shoten ceremony

Sekido Takahiro 関戸高敬

Kankiten (Kangiten　歓喜天, also
Shooten　聖天;
Vinaayaka, Nandikeshvara, Ganesh)



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. Hanayome ningyoo　花嫁人形　 bride dolls .
and wedding dolls


. Regional Folk Toys from Japan .


Enmusubi amulets . . . click for enlargement !

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- #enmusubi #kibitsudaruma #wago #fuufu -
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Urushi laquer

[ . BACK to DARUMA MUSEUM TOP . ]
. Legends about laquer .
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Laquer, Lacquer and Daruma



First some general remarks about lacquer techniques.

Laquerware is created from the sap of the lacquer tree for practical and artistic equipment we use in our daily lives. The advantage of lacquer is its strong natural adhesive property and it is very easily processed into pieces. Traditionally many coatings of lacquer are applied and after drying patterns are carved out of the lacquer.

In my story about Kamakura-bori, Lacquer from Kamakura,
I introduced the main techniques and some Daruma figures.c

Read the full story here:
Kamakurabori 鎌倉彫り　　Kamakurabori -
Daruma and Kamakura Laquerware


More lacquer stories in the Daruma Museum

Wakasa Daruma 若狭　だるま Laquer and achate stone

. Echizen shikki 越前漆器 Echizen lacquer ware . - Fukui
Lacquerware manufacturing in Echizen is one of the traditional industries in Japan, and its history dates back over 1,500 years . . .

Chataku 茶托saucer for tea cup and Negoro Laquer ware,
Negoro nuri 根来塗


. . . CLICK here for Photos of Laquer Daruma !


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quote
In a general sense, lacquer is a clear or coloured varnish that dries by solvent evaporation and often a curing process as well that produces a hard, durable finish, in any sheen level from ultra matte to high gloss and that can be further polished as required.

The term lacquer originates from the Portuguese word for lac, a type of resin excreted from certain insects. Regardless, in modern usage, lac-based varnishes are referred to as shellac, while lacquer refers to other polymers dissolved in volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as nitrocellulose, and later acrylic compounds dissolved in lacquer thinner, a mixture of several solvents typically containing butyl acetate and xylene or toluene.
While both lacquer and shellac are traditional finishes, lacquer is more durable than shellac.

Japanning
Just as "China" is a common name for Chinese ceramic, "Japan" is an old name for Japanese Lacquerware (made from the sap of the Lacquer Tree) and its European imitations.
As Asian and Indian lacquer work became popular in England, France, the Netherlands, and Spain in the 17th century the Europeans developed imitations that were effectively a different technique of lacquering. The European technique, which is used on furniture and other objects, uses varnishes that have a resin base similar to shellac.

The technique, which became known as japanning, involves applying several coats of varnish which are each heat-dried and polished. In the 18th Century this type of lacquering gained a large popular following. In the 19th and 20th Centuries this lacquering technique evolved into the handicraft of decoupage.
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !


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Start from HERE

. My PHOTO ALBUM - Laquer Daruma

A lacquer plate called "Daruma Plate"
Used to serve sweet Japanese cakes for the Tea Ceremony.
(my album 15)

Seated Daruma, wood with a lacquer coating.
Ichiban Antiques.
(my album 16/17)
A very vibrant wooden carving of the Boddhidharma - also known as Daruma - this one carved from a heavy wood and then quite heavily lacquered in a dry lacquer technique in dark red lacquer. There are traces of old gilt designs on the robes and his face has a lot of gold lacquer or gilt still in place - now reddish from age. Based on
the patina and the slight dulling of the red lacquer, we believe this piece dates from the late Meiji to Taisho period.
trocadero.com/ICHIBAN/

A Tray with four Dishes
Unusual Japanese red lacquer tray and four small dishes in the shape of Daruma. Ca. 1900. The tray represents the hooded Daruma enveloped in his robe. His face and the suggestion of his robe have been deeply carved, and his high relief eyes are piercing. The four small plates represent a slightly different pose of Daruma, also
enveloped in his robe, and they are hand carved to show facial and robe details. As you can see from the photos, each face is slightly different. The backs of all five pieces are covered in black lacquer, and the remnants of an old paper label can be found on each piece.
(my Album 17, 18, 19, 20


Mini-Geta, Sandals of Kamakura Lacquer
They are to be ordered online for 2000 Yen.
(my album 21,22)
Daruma san in this item, really, trampling on his face!
http://www.gendaiya.co.jp/minigeta.htm


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Collection of my Daruma Museum

Now let us look at the other Daruma of Lacquer in my collection of the PHOTO ALBUM.

01
is my first Daruma acquisition ever, read about him here. We go quite a while together.

Who is Daruma ?



On picture 03 you can see him with some friends sitting in my office, always watching, always ready for a joke, always seriously happy!


O8
shows a small tray used in a temple to put on a flower vase (kadai).
It is made of wood with Washuuzan-Laquer from Okayama prefecture.

09
is a small bowl for soup. Probably red Negoro lacquer.


23
shows two boxes, Father and Son (oyako) as I call them. Red Lacquer with gilt painting. The bigger one might have been used to store some lunch.

24

a box of about 35 cm diameter, wood with a black lacquer coating.
These kinds of boxes (cha-bako) are used to keep the tea utensils in, ready for use any time.

25
is a very special plate of black lacquer with metal inlay of various patterns of a Japanese festival in Kyoto. The diameter is 12 cm.




. My Photo Album - Laquer Daruma 　　

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oouchi lacquer dolls 大内塗 Ouchi Laquer

. Ouchi Ningyo 大内人形 Laquer Dolls from Yamaguchi 　



Kanazawa shikki 金沢漆器　lacquerware from Kanazawa
Ishikawa

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Takaoka shikki 高岡漆器 Takaoka Lacquerware

- quote -
Takaoka City’s prized Takaoka lacquerware
has captivated many people with its beauty. Decorated with simple, delicate designs and vividly elegant colors, it has gained popularity both inside and outside of Japan.



The history of Takaoka lacquerware goes back as far as that of Takaoka City itself. When the second Kaga clan lord, Maeda Toshinaga, built Takaoka Castle and established what is now Takaoka City around 1609, he invited craftsmen from throughout the country to his domain, and had them produce various key necessities from armories to cabinets. This is said to have been the origin of Takaoka lacquerware.

Starting out as a townspeople’s craft, by the late 18th century, Takaoka Lacquerware was beginning to be influenced by over-glazing methods from China, including tsuishu (the over-glazing of red lacquerware) and tsuikoku (the over-glazing of black lacquerware), and the region saw the start of production of trays and jubako multi-tiered food boxes. Techniques developed such as chokoku-nuri (sculpture painting), where artisans would literally paint lacquer onto sculptures, and sabi-e (rust paintings) that use sabi urushi (rust lacquer) to paint subjects three-dimensionally.

Takaoka expanded as a production center and became known nationwide. Building on these techniques, various products such as trays, tea utensils and furniture were manufactured, and in 1975, Takaoka lacquerware was designated as a traditional craft by the Japanese government.

Other lacquer techniques representative of Takaoka are yusuke-nuri and aogai-nuri.
Yusuke-nuri is a comprehensive technique that uses a Chinese designs as its base, with singular subjects or combinations of subjects such as flowers and birds, mountains and water, or human figures painted using the sabi-e technique. Decorations are then added to this foundation using coral and gold or silver sheets. Aogai-nuri, meanwhile, uses inlaid mother-of-pearl to create its designs. By using thin, hand-crafted shells, the foundation becomes transparent, illuminating a beautiful shade of blue.

Takaoka lacquerware continues to be made to this day. Classic products such as trays and hand mirrors are still being manufactured, as well as new products that cater to modern needs, such as smartphone cases and piercings. Ancient or modern, investing in the dignified beauty of Takaoka lacquerware can bring an inspiring change to your life.
Traditional Crafts Takaoka Lacquerware Co-operative:Kaihatsu-Honmachi, Takaoka-shi, Toyama
- reference source : japan-brand.jnto.go.jp/crafts -




. Toyama Folk Art - 富山県 .

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. . . . . Urushi no ki 漆　うるし　＜＞ Lacquer Tree


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Uzawa Shogetsu　 鵜沢松月

He was a disciple of the famous
Shirayama Shosai 白山松哉 (Shirayama Shoosai)
1853 - 1923





Uzawa Shogetsu, Collections Baur
Jan Dees,　1986
Designs produced by the Japanese lacquer Master Uzawa Shogetsu seem to grow out of smooth surfaces of the perfectly finished lacquer boxes and other items he produced. Shogetsu’s (probably 1877 - ?) specialty were subtly shaded lacquer (maki-e) decorations, painted in meticulous details.
With 26 items, the majority of works of this little known master is found today in the Collections Baur. Some of the objects were especially made to order for the collector Alfred Baur (1866 - 1951), who bought as many of Shogetsu’s objects as were available. As a consequence of Baur’s passion for this artist’s work, Shogetsu is comparatively unknown in Japan today.
Various Tables, Glossary, and Notes.
source : www.trocadero.com

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. Shibata Zeshin 柴田是真 .
March 15, 1807 – July 13, 1891

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some technical terms

hiramaki-e　　平蒔絵　flat-sprinkled design
jigaki 地書き　fine line drawing
kirigane 切り金 cut patterns from gold or silver foil
takamaki-e 高蒔絵　relief-sprinkled design
togidashi 研ぎ出し　finishing by polishing
tsutsu 筒　sprinkling rod


The various steps:
① shita-e下絵　② okime 置き目　③　jigaki地書き　④ shitamaki 下蒔き　⑤ shitamaki toki 下蒔き研ぎ ⑥ takaage 高上げ ⑦ takatogi 高研ぎ ⑧ kinmaki 金蒔き　⑨ kinpun katame 金粉固め　⑩ kinpun togi 金粉研ぎ　⑪　suri-urushi 摺り漆　⑫　migaki 磨き


. Maki-e, makie 蒔絵 lacquer pictures .
and haiku about them

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. Edo shokunin 江戸の職人 Edo craftsmen .

nurishi, nuri-shi　塗師　laquer master

The kijishi 生地師（きぢし）prepared the vessels
the nurishi 塗師 applied the laquer base
the makie-shi 蒔絵師（まきえし）applied the images.



Lacquer items from the Nezu Museum
- source : Nezu Museum Tokyo -

. Edo shikki 江戸漆器　Edo lacquerware .
- Introduction -

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山家漆器店 Lacquer from Yamaga, Wakayama
source : Yamaga on FB

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goorokuwan 合鹿椀（ごうろくわん）Goroku lacquer bowl from Yanagida village
Ishikawa, Noto peninsula

The second Chinese character is for deer (shika 鹿).
It was originally the character for ROKU 麓, fumoto, the foot of a mountain
where the craftsmen lived.

gooroku no wan 合鹿 の椀



quote
Gorokuwan - Goroku Wan
The wooden core was carved using only the blade of a lathe, and the piece utilizes the effects of this carving as a part of its ornamentation. The shape of the bowl is very elegant and solid. The edge has thick hemp cloth pasted on to improve its durability, and the artist has taken advantage of the texture of this cloth when adding the bowl's ornamentation.
The more you use such a piece, the more you will appreciate the beauty and charm of this lacquered bowl.
source : shofu.pref.ishikawa.jp

There are bowls for rice and for soup.
Look here for more photos:
source : 合鹿椀情報館



霜がれや引っくり返る鹿の椀
shimogare ya hikkurikaeru roku no wan

withering in the frost -
my Goroku bowl
has fallen upside down


鹿の椀こつけありくや秋の雨　

. Kobayashi Issa 小林一茶 - Introduction .


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. shikki 漆器 laquerware, laquer ware .
Table of contents


. koogei, kôgei　工藝　/ 工芸 Kogei, industrial art .

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- #urushi #laquer #laquerware -
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Fude pen

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Pen 筆 Fude and Daruma

Fude Daruma 筆だるま
Daruma Fude だるま筆


Fude Daruma 筆だるま
Daruma with paintings of a pen on his belly


source : ichikawashop.com

This is a talisman doll for people to start making a career as calligraphers.



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Daruma Fude だるま筆　pen called "Daruma"



The pens with a big belly for fat letters are DARUMA.


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Kokeshi wooden dolls in the form of a pen




More kokeshi on a pen






Photos from my friend Ishino　　


. Kokeshi, Wooden Dolls こけし 　


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Daruma with a pen for a beard
kanban for a pen shop
Daruma Museum




. Kanban, Shop Signs, 看板 with Daruma


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- quote -
Kumano fude 熊筆 brushes from Kumano, Hiroshima
Kumano cho is the capital of brushes, and produces 80% of the brushes made in Japan for painting, writing and cosmetics. However, none of the materials used to make the brushes come from Kumano. In other words, natural hairs of sheep, horse, itachi wolf, or raccoon are all imported from North America and China. Materials for brush handles are either from Okayama and Shimane prefectures, or imported from Taiwan and Korea.

Kumano has an interesting history for this successful industry.
A long time ago, the farmers used to buy brushes and ink from Nara and sell them to the locals in order to earn extra income after harvesting rice. The Hiroshima local government encouraged this activity and Kumano began making brushes eventually as well. Later, Japanese calligraphy was introduced as a school subject, and the increased demand for brushes brought stability to the industry in Kumano.

It normally takes 70 steps to create one brush. It is a manual process. It is said to take at least 10 years to be able to handle animal hairs properly and proficiently. The price of brushes varies: for example, one for a calligraphy class goes for about 1000 yen ($10). On the other hand, one used by a professional makeup artist or calligraphy artist will cost anywhere between several tens of thousands and 300,000 yen ($3-400 to $3,000). When Japan’s women soccer champions for the World Cup in Germany received the People’s Honor Award from the Japanese government, a Kumano make-up brush was presented to each player as a special gift.

The tips of the hand-made brushes are naturally uneven, which produces a nice and delicate contact with paper or one’s face, helping to create a superb finish. Therefore, Kumano brushes are very popular among many world-renowned make-up artists.
- - - - - 5-17-1 Nakamizo Kumanocho Aki-gun Hiroshima-ken
- source : japan-brand.jnto.go.jp/crafts -


Kumano Fude Matsuri 筆まつり（ふでまつり）
brush festival
Hiroshima prefecture, Kumano Town 熊野町




Fude Kuyo　筆供養 "memorial service for brushes"

Kumano is the greatest producer of brushes in Japan, more than 80% are made here. On the yearly event more than 1000 used brushes from professional writers are burned in a memorial sercice at the shrine Kitano Tenjin sha.
There is a stone arrangement with the "brush burning flame of eternity" and a lot of brushes hang in the compound between the trees.
During the festival people use large brushes to write their favorite calligraphy and demonstrations are held.

. . . CLICK here for Photos !


This kind of service is also held at other temples and Tenmangu shrines of Japan.
道明寺天満宮筆まつり

. Reference

In Kumano they celebrate
haru no fude no hi 春の筆の日 Day of the Brush in spring
day of the spring equinox



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. Hiroshima Prefecture Festivals 　

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ningyoofude, ningyoo fude 人形筆 pen dolls



from Airma onsen 有馬温泉 Arima hot spring

Arima is one of the oldest hot springs in Japan, even Hideyoshi used to come there.
The dolls also have a long history and are mentioned already in a travel book of 1682. There used to be five families producing them till the Taisho period, but now only one has remained.

The body of the pen is decorated with colorful silk thread in various patterns. Some of the patterns have auspicious meanings to ward off evil. Some patterns are suited as a present, for example for a wedding.



On the end of the bamboo shaft it a little doll, sometimes resembling a Daruma san, which pops out and seems to dance when using the pen for writing. When the pen is laid on the table, the doll disappears. This is a kind of "mechanical doll" (karakuri ningyoo).

. Folk Toys from Hyogo .



有馬には人形筆の初しぐれ　　
Arima ni wa ningyoo fude no hatsu shigure

at Arima
there is the first sleet　　
on the pen dolls　

Suzuki Isuzu 鈴木五鈴
source :　karasuyama


Arima fude 有馬筆 pens from Arima
komochi fude 子持ち筆 pens with a child




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The Dying Trade of Yamato

The Hankeidou Workshop (攀桂堂, Hankeidō)
Shiga prefecture (滋賀県).

The Hankeidou workshop is renowned for manufacturing traditional Japanese brushes, known generally as unpei fude (雲平筆), a tradition started by Fujino Unpei (藤野雲平) some 400 years ago during the Genna Era (元和年間, 1615 – 1624).

source : beyond-calligraphy.com




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HAIKU and SENRYU


humanity kigo for the New Year

fude hajime 筆始（ふではじめ）first use of the brush
..... shihitsu 試筆（しひつ）, shigoo 試毫（しごう）
shikan 試簡（しかん）, shimen 試免（しめん）
shiei 試穎（しえい）, shiko 試觚（しこ）
shishun 試春（ししゅん）"first calligraphy in spring"

hatsu suzuri 初硯（はつすずり）first use of the ink stone


. Calligraphy and Kigo 　

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taking the brush
365 days
first calligraphy

Gabi Greve


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. Matsuo Basho 松尾芭蕉 - Archives of the WKD .


露凍てて筆に汲み干す清水かな
tsuyu itete fude ni kumihosu shimizu kana / hitsu ni

The moss pure spring

beginning to melt,
I soak it dry with my brush:
the pure water spring
source :　Tr. Barnhill

winter of 1687 貞亨4年. Oi no Kobumi 笈の小文
Written at a haikai meeting at Nagoya 名古屋昌圭亭.
Some sources link this to the pure water of a spring in Yoshino.


dew is freezing
and with my brush I soak up
this pure water . . .
Tr. Gabi Greve

This hokku has the cut marker KANA at the end of line 3.

Basho stepping out into the garden after a very cold winter night, trying to pick up some dew from the leaves and write a hokku with it.

This is written in memory of Saigyo:

とくとくと落つる岩間の苔清水
汲み干すほどもなき住まひかな

tokotoku to otsuru iwama no koke shimizu
kumihosu hodo mo naki sumai kana

Trickling down,
pure spring water falls
over the mossy rocks,
not enough to draw up
for this hermit life.
Tr. Barnhill


Another version is

凍て解けて筆に汲み干す清水哉
ite tokete hitsu ni kumihosu shimizu kana
. ite tokete fude ni kumihosu shimizu kana .


. 　Basho and Saigyo 芭蕉と西行法師　.

. . . . .


大津絵の筆のはじめは何仏
Ootsu e no fude no hajime wa nani botoke

. the first brush stroke
for an Otsu-E painting -
which Buddha will it be ? .


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fude nagete tsuki ni mono iu bakari nari


I throw my brush away -
from now on I speak only
to the moon


. Koha (Kooha)　香波


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mannenhitsu 万年筆 fountain pen

from Old Imari pottery kilns



古伊万里風楼閣桜図 万年筆
黄緑彩兜唐草 万年筆
染付章魚唐草濃 万年筆

- Shared by Ken Ichihashi, facebook -

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fudeya　筆屋 brush maker


source : novelty3355.jugem.jp

wooden shop sign of a brush maker 木製筆屋の看板
From professional painters to official letter writers to bookkeepers to children at Terakoya schools . . . everyone needed a pen to write in the Edo period.
When a pen was made, the brush maker licked it in a final test of its finishing.
Therefore we have the following Senryu :

奥様は筆屋が唾をなめ給う
okusama wa fudeya no tsuba o nametamau

the housewife
licks the spittle
of the brush maker

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- quote
Edo Fude 江戸筆 Handmade Calligraphy Brushes

■ Traditional Technologies and Techniques
1- Hair for calligraphy brushes is chosen based on the intended brush type and the length of the brush tip. The craftsman relies on instincts developed over many years of brush making.
2- Removing defective strands of hair is part of the tip-formation process. The tip represents the most important part of a calligraphy brush. A metal comb is used to comb through the strands of hair and align them accordingly, and strands without proper tips as well as those that are incorrectly oriented are removed from the clump.
3- The tip is formed by arranging strands into clumps for the very end of the tip (inochige 命毛), the middle portion of the tip (nodoge 喉毛) and the base portion of the tip (koshige 腰毛). One brush's worth of hairs is then taken from each of these clumps to make a tip. Advanced skills are required to both ensure balanced spacing between the hairs and to also achieve an elegant brush-tip shape.
4- Nerimaze 練りまぜ is a process carried out to achieve an evenly distributed mix of differing strand lengths, and it makes a major contribution to determining the final quality of the brush tip.
5- Shintate 芯立て is the formation of the final brush-tip shape using a ring-shaped implement. The craftsman feels the tip by hand to check its firmness and resilience, etc. The volume of hair used in the brush tip may be adjusted accordingly in response to how the tip feels.

■ Traditionally Used Raw Materials
-- Brush Tip - goat hair, horse hair, pig hair, raccoon dog hair, weasel hair, cat hair, and other varieties.
穂―山羊毛・馬毛・豚毛・たぬき毛・いたち毛・猫毛ほか
-- Brush Handle - Bamboo, wood 軸―竹・木

■ History and Characteristics
Concerning the "calligraphy brush," one of the "Four Treasures of Study" within the Chinese classical canon, in the Nihon Shoki (The Chronicles of Japan) it is recorded that in March of the 18th year of the reign of the Empress Suiko (610); "the methods of making paper and ink were brought about" by the Buddhist priest Damjing. This reference indicates that Damjing was a pioneer figure with respect to the arrival in Japan of writing implements in the form of calligraphy brushes, ink and ink stones.

Since then, there have been numerous advances and improvements made in production technologies as calligraphy brushes (and the written word that accompanied them) became key implements in Japan's cultural and traditional development, with many different types of brush produced for different purposes.

Around the middle of the Edo Period, along with the rise to prominence of the commercial class, Edo witnessed a dramatic increase in the number of "temple schools". In that the general population also began to write, calligraphy brushes came to be widely used among the masses. Furthermore, a number of classic Edo Fude (handmade calligraphy brushes) were born around this time as production technologies employed by craftsmen developed even further. The dominant production method in Edo was called nerimazeho 練りまぜ法 (literally "the mixing method"), and its processes were established by Hosoi Kotaku (1658-1736) in the Genroku Era (1688-1704). This method of manufacture went on to spread quickly due to the new national education system that was promulgated in the fifth year of the Meiji Era (1872).

Due to the combined calamities of the Great Kanto Earthquake (1923) and the Pacific War (1941-1945) many calligraphy brush craftsmen left Tokyo. However, those who were left focused both on the production of high-end calligraphy brushes, and on working to keep the relevant technologies and techniques alive.

Goat hair, horse hair, pig hair, raccoon dog hair, weasel hair and cat hair are but some of the materials used to make the tips of calligraphy brushes. In many cases the hair of goats native to China is used, with the hair grown below the nape of the neck in the vicinity of the upper forequarters being considered the best quality and thus highly prized. When making a calligraphy brush, in forming the tip which is said to represent the most important part, a metal comb is used to comb through the hair strands and align them accordingly, with strands without proper tips as well as those that are incorrectly oriented being removed. Shaping is the process of forming the brush tip, and advanced skills are required to ensure balanced spacing between the hairs and to also achieve an elegant shape.
Nerimaze is the process of taking strands of different lengths and mixing them evenly. This process plays a major role in determining the final quality of the brush tip. Shintate is formation of the final shape of the tip using a ring-shaped implement. The craftsman feels the tip by hand to check its firmness and resilience, etc. The volume of hair used in the brush tip may be adjusted accordingly in response to how the tip feels.

Tokyo Stationary Industrial Association
- source : www.sangyo-rodo.metro.tokyo.jp - 32 -

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- quote -
Tokyo Teue Brush 東京手植ブラシ Handmade Brushes, "western brushes"
Traditional Technologies and Techniques
01 Processing of base wood:
The base wood is cut and planed down.
02 Marking:
A template is placed over the wooden base of the brush and the bristle insertion positions are marked out using ink.
03 Creation of bristle holes:
Bristle holes are made at the points marked in ink on the base wood.
04 Bristle cutting:
The bristles are cut to a specific length.
05 Bristle mixing:
Bristles are mixed by hand so that the (soft) tips and (hard) roots are aligned identically.
06 Sorting by hand:
Short bristles, bristles with irregular shapes and other problematic strands are removed.
07 Bristle insertion:
Predetermined clump quantities of bristles are picked out precisely and folded in two, and a metal wire is passed through and drawn along the center of the wood to pull the bristles firmly down into the bristle holes.
08 Cover attachment:
A thin, wooden cover piece is attached to hide the metal wires and make the product easier to use.
09 Base wood finishing:
① The size of the main body and attached cover are made uniform and the physical feel of the product when held is improved.
② Grooves are added to the side portions to make the product easier to hold.
10 Bristle trimming:
The bristle tips are trimmed to achieve a uniform, predetermined bristle length throughout.
11 Finishing:
The product's surfaces are painted uniformly.

Traditionally Used Raw Materials
- Bristles: 刈萱 Karukaya, Palm, Cedar, Tampico, fern, horse hair, pig hair, goat hair.
- Base wood: Katsura, Magnolia, Cherry, Japanese Beech, Bamboo

History and Characteristics
Brush production (of so-called "western brushes") commenced in Japan around the 7th year of the Meiji Era (1874). At the time, brushes made in France were used as product examples. In the 10th year of the Meiji Era (1877), the First National Industrial Exhibition was held at Ueno Park, with a display of western-style brushes being very well-received. Following on, craftsmen who had traditionally made Japanese brushes began to get involved in the manufacture of western brushes. Production started off with horse hair being used for bristles, oak being used for timber, and bristle holes being made using hand gimlets.

In Meiji 21 (1888), Japan's first brush manufacturing company was established by Matsumoto Jutaro (1844-1914), who was at the time a director of the Dai Hyakusanju Bank (the National 130th Bank). Due to numerous improvements, what resulted was a penetration of brushes into society in much the same way as can be witnessed today. The brush manufacturing industry developed focusing on Tokyo and Osaka. As new machinery was introduced to industries, it came to pass that there were a great variety of brushes used for industrial purposes in workplaces. Moreover, as Japanese home life became increasingly westernized, demand for household brushes increased. Accordingly, in locations such as Wakayama Prefecture, brush manufacturing companies introduced large-capacity machinery and mass production commenced. Later on, in factories in Osaka and Wakayama, even greater industrialization steps were taken. In Tokyo by contrast, a city that had started out with many businesses engaged in producing industrial-purpose brushes, highly-durable brushes whose bristles were hand-inserted were developed.

Because hand-inserted bristles in such brushes run together in that they are all pulled down by an internal metal wire called a "pulling string," they are more robust than bristles in machine-made brushes because with machine-made brushes bristles are directly inserted into each individual hole (and they are not secured by a "pulling string"). It is for this reason that Tokyo's brush manufacturers continue the traditional practice of inserting brush bristles by hand.

Tokyo Brush Manufacturing Association
- reference source : sangyo-rodo.metro.tokyo.jp - 38 -

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. shokunin - Edo craftsmen　江戸の職人 .

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Kakebotoke votive plaques

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Kakebotoke - Votive Plaques and Daruma 懸仏と達磨


CLICK for more photos !


"Kakebotoke" simply means "Hanging Buddha"
and refers to a plaque hanging on the wall. It can also be written 懸け仏 in Japanese. Sometimes it is translated as "Hanging Disc", since it is mostly round in shape.

The votive plaque occupies a peculiar position among religious art objects because it was produced in this form only in Japan and developed in a unique way. This came into existence after the practice of enshrining Buddhist and Shintoist deities under the same roof started. The principal subject of the votive plaque were Buddhist figures (kakebotoke 懸仏); the round plaques were about 40 cm in diameter and generally hung inside a temple or a shrine. It was first called Mishootai (御神体) or the "true form of the deity", and the use of the word "Kakebotoke" seems to have started in the early Meiji period.

Votive plaques are classified in three types:
1) Round metal plates provided with one or two hooks by means of which they were suspended and on the surface of which a Buddhist figure, very often Kannon Bosatsu or Dainichi Nyorai, was engraved.
2) Round metal plates with a figure embossed, usually with an inscription of the maker and the donor on the back side.
3) Round metal plates, usually copper with gilt or silver, to which an embossed Buddhistic figure was attached.

The origin of the votive plaque seems to have been closely related to the custom in which the actual Buddhist image was reflected in a mirror. This custom was initiated by Emperor Monmu (reign 697-707) upon a suggestion in his dream by a priest, although he had planned to build a Buddhist statue.
Read a learned essay about this subject in the middle of the following HP.
http://www.tobunken.go.jp/~bijutsu/english/biken/abstract/70.html

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Kakebotoke
were also put up in front of a tabernakel with a secret Buddha statue (hibutsu 秘仏), which was not to be shown to the public. The votive plaques with a copy of the secret Buddha statue, sometimes up to 50 cm in diameter, became the object of veneration. Since they were stolen quite often they were later hung up high in the inner sanctuary (naijin 内陣) to prevent theft.

The custom of reflecting a Buddhist statue in a mirror for a special ritual is still alive today.

Here is a mysterious story I heared in a temple in Kamakura:

For special exorcistic rituals of esoteric Buddhism heated oil is poured over a Buddha statue. The statue in question was a secret statue, so the Kakebotoke substitue had to be used. Since the Kakebotoke statue of this temple had just been newly made and was quite pretty, the priest wanted to spare it this fate. He decided to reflect the statue in a mirror and poor the heated oil over the mirror. It seems the Gods accepted this sacrificial offer of a substitute with another substitute and peace returned to the poor soul for which the ritual was performed.

You want to know why this ritual had to be performed? Well, that brings us into the realm of the Ghost Stories of Lafcardio Hearn (Kwaidan, 怪談), but here it is:

During the early Edo period, a young woman who lived in Kamakura close to this tempel had made a wish to the powerful god of this particluar temple to grant her a child. She soon gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, but died shortly after that. Since it is the custom to go back to the temple and thank the god for a granted favor (o-rei mairi お礼参り), she could not perform this ceremony and her poor soul was hanging in limbo for quite a while.

Just after World War II another woman, Mrs. K. who lived close to the temple, started to have the same dream every night: A young woman appeared at her pillow, telling her the above story and asked her to have a ritual performed to pacify her soul. "If you help me, I will show my gratitude for your act!" the young woman promised. So, after consulting with the temple priest, the ritual to pacify the soul of the young mother was performed - with the hot oil on the mirror to substiture for the substitute, but the god was pacified anyway and the soul of the young woman could proceed to heaven. She appeared just one more time at the pillow of Mrs. K., thanked her again and promised to do something good for her.

Now, you ask, what good did she do for Mrs. K? That I cannot tell you here, but if you send me an Email, I might. After all, miracles happen even in our modern times.

. Kawabata Yasunari 川端康成 Yasunari Kawabata .

. Gankake 願掛け wish-prayer, to make a wish .

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The Kakebotoke from the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.


source :　www.clevelandart.org

This Kakebotoke was originally suspended by brightly colored cords from a wooden beam in a Buddhist worship hall of the late Heian period. Originally its polished bronze surface reflected the flickering light of oil and candle flames. But through the centuries of exposure to the elements and wax and oil smoke, the metal surface has acquired the rich blue-and-green patination of age and usage so admired by the Japanese. The seated figure of the universally benevolent deity, Kannon, sits on a lotus base surrounded by a double halo with flame patterns.
These elements have all been cut from a sheet of bronze and delicately hammered into shape using a wood mold. The surface of the deity's figure and the individual lotus petals have been incised and carefully tooled to provide detailing of form and three-dimensional modeling.
by .barnard.columbia.edu

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Kannon Bosatsu as Kakebotoke from the Heian period.
MIHO Museum.

source : www.miho.or.jp

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Daruma as Kakebotoke だるまの懸仏



Since Kakebotoke is originally just a hanging Buddhist figure, I take the liberty to add our Daruma san to this categorie. Most of the Daruma plaques are made of wood, now even of plastic, but they still serve the purpose of being worshipped in the hope for some favor in life. So let us have a look at some Darumas hanging on my wall.




The one on the left is of beatuifully shaped wood, almost triangular. On the sides it reads: Seven times Down, Eight times Up (七転八起). The plaque is 35 cm high and 70 cm wide.




This is a square plaque of black wood with two Darumas in the form of a papermachee Daruma. One of them is carrying a flywhisk. The plaque is 24 cm high and 32 cm wide.




This Daruma appears on an oval wooden plate and is very carefully carved and polished. It is 50 cm high and 35 cm wide.




This last one is a special gift from a friend, who made it of pottery after visiting my Daruma Hall. It is meant to hang at the door and greet the visitors. It is about 13 cm high and his face is quite individualistically formed.



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Me-ire painting eyes

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Me-ire - Painting Eyes for Daruma
達磨の目入れ



Why are the eyes of a Daruma for Good Luck
(engi Daruma 縁起だるま) always white?

gankake Daruma　願掛けだるま　Daruma to make a wish

In the beginning, Daruma dolls always had eyes painted. But in the Kanto area around Tokyo, Daruma Dolls with white eyes were sold during the New Years markets. The person who bought it or the priest at the temple had to paint one eye and cast a wish and after the year was over and the wish had come true, the other eye was painted and the doll then burned in a consecrating bonfire at the temple at Years End.
You then got a new one for the New Year and the circle begun again.

But why did the Daruma dolls not have eyes?
When the priest Bodhidaruma sat in a cave for nine years meditating, he had to fight sleepiness. He thought: "Because I have eyes, my eyelids fall over them and I start snoozing." So in a bold act he cut off his eyelids to keep awake. (The eyelashes, which he had thrown away, took root and turned into the tea bush to give us this wonderful wakening beverage, as legend knows!)

Another explanation seems more realistic. If you paint eyes on a Daruma Doll it gets some facial expression and if you are not a good painter, it might look akward or evil. So to sell your piece, it is a lot easier not to paint the pupils and leave the blame of facial expression with the customer when he paints the eyes himself.

The next step then was to cast a wish while painting an eye, then burn it after service time was over and buy a new one - who says they did not have good business ideas in Old Edo?! Daruma Dolls were very popular and the habit of getting a new one every year has stayed with us, as we can see at the many Daruma Markets during the New Years Season.

. WHO is Daruma ? 　



mangan Daruma 満願だるま
Daruma after the fulfillment of a wish


. Gankake 願掛け wish-prayer, to make a wish .


. ganman no tai　(gamman)　願満の鯛　
sea bream after the fulfillment of a wish .
Saint Nichiren and the Tanjo-Ji temple in Chiba.


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One easy iconographical feature to discern a Daruma are his big eyes. We have already heared that he cut off his eyelids while meditating in front of a wall, because he thought that would prevent him from falling asleep. These big eyes of Daruma are his trade-mark, so to speak.
A Daruma without eyes or rather pupils (menashi Daruma, me-nashi Daruma 目無しだるま) is also called
"Daruma to make a wish" (gankake Daruma 願掛けだるま).
. . . CLICK here for Photos for a Daruma without eyes!

It is usually a tumbler doll made out of papermachee according to the local traditions that are still alive now.
You buy a Daruma without pupils during the New Year celebrations and paint the left eye of Daruma while making your wish. Then you put him up at the Buddhist or Shinto altar in your home. At the end of the year, when the wish has come true, you paint the right eye of Daruma, while giving thanks, then carry Daruma to a temple to have it burned in a holy fire and buy a new one for the next year, and so on and so on.

According to Mr. Kido, the selling of Daruma dolls with eyes started around 1764. During that period, many children suffered of smallpox, which is especially dangerous for the eyes. A Daruma was then used at a talisman to protect from this eye affliction. Since a Daruma with no eyes painted has no special facial expression, the dealers soon sold Daruma dolls with no pupils painted and urged the customers to paint one pupil first and the second after they got better. This custom may have started around 1772. But with the vaccination against smallpox in the beginning of the Meiji period the use of eyeless Daruma as protector for the eyes also disappeared, or rather it changed to other departments of good luck in life.

Akai ... 赤いRed Hoosoo 疱瘡　
..Smallpox, Red and Daruma

The story of Daruma dolls is also closely linked to the production of silk and raising silkworms. During the first casting off the skin of the silkworm in spring (harugo), the fist (left) eye of Daruma is painted with the wish that they have many good moltings and grow big and fat. When the silkworms start spinning their cocoons in autumn (akigo) the second eye is painted.


In Takasaki at the famous Daruma temple Shoorin-zan 少林山 you have the eyes painted by the priest. In this case it is the left eye of Daruma.
Most other temples follow this rule. 　


In Ogaki town, Gifu prefecture there is also the custom to start with the right eye of Daruma, since the right side generally is considered of higher rank than the left. Some politicians also start with the right eye of Daruma.


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There are of course other explanations.

The Buddhist or Shinto home altar common even now in a household is usually facing South. If you want to put your Daruma for Good Luck on this shelf to pray to it during the year, you put up Daruma with the back to the north and paint the first eye, facing east, to start the day and the New Year.
Then Daruma can watch over you during the day/year and in the evening the second eye (facing west) is painted. That makes a lot of sense to me. The equation of space and time as being one is very well represented in the statues of the 12 Heavenly Generals (juuni shinshoo 十二神将 ), which each represent 2 hours of the day and one of the 12 regions of the compass at the same time.

. Twelve Heavenly Generals 十二神将　
juuni shinshoo 　


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If you sit back for a while and meditate about time, usually the idea of the past comes up from behind and your left, while the future is projected into the space before you and to your right.
In the temple Jindai-ji the eyes of Daruma are painted in the form of the first and last syllabel of the Sanskrit alphabet (bonji, shuji) , representing the Beginning and End, the course of time in the eyes of Daruma. Of course if you meditate longer, you come to the point to realize that there is NO past and future, but only this very moment, but that is a different problem altogether. Maybe that is another lesson we can learn from a Daruma without eyes. By the way, many Buddha statues are depicted with eyes half closed (hangan) so as to see through time and space, past and future, here and there and all the dualistic concepts we build up in this world.

Jindai-ji Temple and the Sanskrit ajikan meditation 阿字観


. A-UN, the alpha and omega and Buddha statues 　


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Some people also believe, if you paint both eyes for Daruma at the same time, he has more power to watch over you and make your wish come true. But as one priest explained to me:

"You can make a wish and put up a Daruma,
but you yourself have to work towards the fulfillment and make a big effort, otherwise nothing will change in your life!
Daruma can only remind you at this
every day you pray to him."
If your wish is too unrealistic to come true, even Daruma cannot help you, so be careful about the things to wish.

But how long should we wait until the wish is fulfilled? Until the next New Year? After the Election? After getting well from a disease? Usually the New Year is the time to bring the Daruma back to the temple or shirne, but some people prefer to keep him as a memento and put him up at a shelf. Some carry him back after the election is lost.
So basically you can do as you please.


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Here is one more story to explain why, by Mr. Minegishi.

In the Genroku period the priest Shunkai Zenji of the temple Kokubun-ji in Nagano prefecture was suffering from an eye disease. He had a statue from a carver in Kyoto of a Daruma with no eyes, so he prayed to this statue for healing. Well, what do you know, his eyes got better and soon after he was completely healed he performed a ceremony to paint the eyes for his Daruma (kaigan shiki 開眼式). The people who heared this story started praying to Daruma figures with no eyes, made of local clay, and soon the temple was famous for healing eye diseases. People who were healed brought their Daruma to the temple to be stored in a special hall.


But let us be franc, does it really matter?
As long as the person who gets the Daruma is happy with the result, he can paint the first eye in his favorite direction. What is important is to tell Daruma while you paint: "If you work hard for me and my wish comes true, I will paint your second eye." But there are also folks who paint both eyes at the same time, telling Daruma "Well, I give you both eyes now, so you can work even better for me!" What matters is the sincerity and intensity of your wish, not the location of the eyes.

"Paint the eye as it pleases you most to make your wish come true and work yourself hard to make it happen!" is maybe the best advise we can give to people who turn to a Daruma for good luck.



me ga deru 目が出る

In Japanese there is a saying "to have good luck" "Me ga deta" (the eyes come out, meaning to have the higher number in a game of dice), or a play with words like "Congratulatory" “ME-DE-tai” (eyes coming out), so the eyes are important symbols for winning good luck. There are some Daruma figures, especially little talismans you buy at a temple or shrine, where the eyes pop out to invoke this saying. Here is one you can even order online at the shrine Tenman-gu in Kobe.



Me Dashi Daruma ... 目だしダルマ
Daruma with protruding eyes. Me ga deru, to have good luck!


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A Belgian company about emotional intelligence, time management and self-discipline uses a Daruma for its advertising campaign.
FROM a Daruma with one eye TO a Daruma with both eyes.

The Daruma doll from Japan is a visual aid to help achieve results. The pupils have to be added to the whites of the eyes one at the time. The first one when a goal is set, the second one on its achievement. The idea is that the unseeing eye will remind you that the goal has not been reached and so prompt you to take action.
The Daruma doll is used in the Time Manager to remind you of your goals - thus to:
Translate your thoughts into action!

Time Manager Daruma Doll


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Kaigan Kuyo Ceremony 開眼

When making a Buddha statue, the most important part are the eyes, which are usually done last and sometimes a big celebration is connected with this event. Maybe the biggest of them all was the great ceremony held for the Big Buddha at the Todai-ji in Nara in the year 752, where the Indian priest Bodaisenna performed the rites of painting the eyes and music and delegations from all over Buddhist Asia were present.


天平勝宝４年（752年）、大仏の目に筆で瞳を描いて魂を迎え入れる儀式－「大仏開眼供養会」－が行われました。開眼の導師を勤めたのはインドの僧侶、波羅門僧正・菩提僊那（ぼだいせんな）です。

東大寺大仏開眼１２５０年慶讃大法要
Todai-Ji Kaigan Kuyo Ceremony

. . . CLICK here for Photos !

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Tibetan Daruma-Buddha

Talking about the eyes of Buddha statues, the Great Eyes of some stupas in Nepal come to mind. The eyes of the stupa of Swayambunath are overlooking the town of Katmandu, whereas the stupa of Bodnath is situated in a natural mandala in the middle of the valley and the huge eyes seem to see anything that is going on in the area.

. Tibetan Daruma 　


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. The fiery eyes of Daruma
and more variations on Japanese Curry.

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Not only Daruma helps to make a wish, there are other amulets too.

gankake omamori 願掛け守り amulet to make a wish

. Gankake 願掛け wish-prayer, to make a wish .

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Aoi Me no Daruma　青い目の達磨　＜＞ Blue Eyes of Daruma
.... Eye-opening Ceremonies for Buddhastatues



Hisshoo Daruma 必勝ダルマ to win an election
(Hissho Daruma, Certain Victory)
Politicians painting eyes for Daruma


Yen Eyes, Dollar Eyes Papermachee Daruma Dolls


Daruma Museum

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