11 Koshigaya Daruma

Do you buy a Dharma doll on New Year's Day each year? Dharma dolls can be bought at Dharma doll fairs from December to January at temples all over Japan . Many people visit these places and buy a Dharma doll. So, as you can see, Dharma dolls are very popular among Japanese people.

Why do so many people buy these dolls each year? The reason is that people want their wishes to come true. They display the Dharma doll in their home and pray to have their wishes granted. Many Dharma dolls are made around Japan. 　There are various designs and shapes, but most are round and red.

In Saitama, the city of Koshigaya is famous for Dharma dolls. Koshigaya is in the south of Saitama. The Koshigaya Daruma is also known as the ‘Bushu Daruma.’ The Koshigaya Daruma has a whiter face and longer nose than other types of Dharma dolls. Therefore, it looks noble and gentle. Koshigaya Daruma was first made by a man called Darukichi in 1713. Darukichi was a doll-maker who lived in Makuri(間久里) in Koshigaya City .

There are now nine Dharma doll-makers in Makuri. They make about 500,000 Dharma dolls each year. Koshigaya Daruma has several unique characteristics when compared to other Dharma dolls. They can be found at many temples all over Japan , such as Kawasaki-taishi(川崎大師) and Shibamata Taishakuten(柴又帝釈天).

All Dharma dolls are made by hand. The height ranges from 4.5 centimeters to 100 centimeters. One characteristic that they all have in common is their mustache. The mustache is a very important point when making a Dharma doll, since its style can completely change the look of the doll's face. So, Dharma doll-makers put a lot of efforts into drawing the mustache. They use a special type of brush called a ‘Mensofude’, which has a long tip. The same brush is used for drawing mustaches on both small and large Dharma dolls. As a result, no two dolls look quite the same.

In 1984, the Koshigaya Daruma was designated as a traditional handiwork of Saitama Prefecture . Why not buy a Dharma doll of your own next year? When you choose it, please look at each doll's face carefully and pick your favorite one.(370語）

Dharma dolls fairs　だるま市　　display　飾る　　pray　祈る　grant　（願いが）かなう

Therefore　したがって　　　　　noble　上品な　　characteristics　特徴

compared to～　～と比べて　　range　～に及ぶ　diameter　直径 mustache　ひげ

tip　筆先　　As a result　結果として　　was designated　指定された

a traditional handiwork　伝統手工芸品

The Dharma doll is originally a combination of the historical story of Bodai Daruma and Japanese paper-mache ‘Hariko’ toys.

Bodai Daruma was born in India around the 6^th Century B.C. He was the founder of Zen Buddhism. He traveled to China around 520B.C and trained in the mountains.

He sat and meditated for nine years without moving. From this story, the Japanese people of the Edo period imagined that a man who sat for such a long time would have lost his arms and legs and grown a long beard. From this image, they thought that he would have become round, like a Dharma doll.

The paper-mache ‘Hariko’ toy was originally created in China. ‘Hariko’ were made by pasting many pieces of paper together.

Chinese Hariko were originally painted in the shape of old man. They were heavy at the bottom and would rise when knocked down.

菩提達磨像

Chinese Hariko were introduced to Japan from China during the Ming Dynasty.

Toy-makers in Kyoto changed the shape to that of a child. People in Edo who were famous for their sense of humor also added a mustache to the face of the doll. When people saw the dolls round shape and mustache, they were reminded of Bodai Daruma. This is how the Dharma doll was created.

It was originally thought that Dharma dolls were good for curing illness because they quickly rose after being knocked down. The color red was thought to protect against small-pox, so Dharma dolls were colored red.

These days, we can see various colored Dharma dolls. People use Dharma dolls to pray to the gods for happiness at home and prosperity at work.

paper-mache　張り子　 founder 創始者　Zen Buddhism　禅宗　　meditated　瞑想した

bear　ひげ　　toy　おもちゃ　　create　創る　　paste　貼る　　bottom　底　

rise(roseは過去形)　起き上がる　　The Ming Dynasty　明の時代　　humor　ユーモア

added　つけ加えた　　round　丸い　　were reminded of ~　～を思い出させた

curing illness　病気を治すこと　　small-pox　疱瘡(ほうそう）　　various　様ざまな

prosperity at work　商売繁盛