Choose yours

Keep your eye on it.

The Japanese doll for goals you mean to keep.

Choose yours See how it works

  1. It arrives with blank eyes.

    The pupils are yours to paint.

  2. Set a goal. Paint one eye.

    Then put it where you’ll see it every day.

  3. Reach it. Paint the other.

    Both eyes open. Goal reached. On to the next one.

The story

Nine years. One wall.

Daruma takes its name from Bodhidharma, the monk said to have brought Zen to China some fifteen hundred years ago.

He sat, and he kept sitting.

Legend has it he faced a wall in meditation for nine years, so still that his arms and legs gave out.

The doll kept his shape.

That is why a Daruma is round, with no arms and no legs. Over the centuries it became Japan’s symbol of perseverance, and painting in its eyes became a way to make a promise you can see.

Fall seven times. Rise eight.

A Japanese proverb, and the idea the doll is built on. Life will knock you over. Get back up.

Falls
0
Rises
1

It starts on its feet, so that’s rise one.

Swipe the doll, or use the arrow keys.

Three colors. Three kinds of goal.

Each color carries a traditional wish. Choose the one that fits the goal, or the person you’re giving it to.

    A sumo wrestler kneels in the ring and bows low to a small red Daruma standing in front of him, completely serious.

    Small doll. Big commitment.

    Shop

    Choose your Daruma.

    Two sumo wrestlers face each other. One bows and offers a gold Daruma with both hands. The other receives it in his palms and studies it through small reading glasses.

    A gift that asks a question.

    A Daruma says “I believe you’ll do it” without a speech. They paint the first eye. You get to ask about the second.

    Choose a gift

    Questions

    Which eye goes first?

    Traditionally the doll’s left eye, which is on your right as you face it. Some regions do it the other way round. What matters is that you paint one.

    What if I don’t reach the goal?

    Keep going. Goals change, and that’s allowed. You can always start again with a fresh Daruma and a clearer goal.

    Do the colors actually do anything?

    They’re symbolic. Each one carries a traditional wish, and different makers use different meanings. Pick the color that fits the goal, or the person you’re giving it to.

    What’s in each box?

    Every box holds one 12 cm Daruma, a marker for the eyes and a card with the ritual. The Single is one box in the color you choose. The Trio is three boxes: red, white and gold.

    How big is it?

    12 cm tall. Big enough to notice from across the room, small enough for a desk, a shelf or a windowsill.

    Delivery and returns
    Can I order now?

    Not yet. The Single and The Trio are both out of stock for now. Leave your email in the shop and we’ll tell you when they’re back.

    What’s your next goal?

    Pick a color. Paint one eye.
    Keep your eye on it.

    Choose yours
    A sumo wrestler in a navy mawashi laughs and holds up a red Daruma with both eyes painted in.