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Gifts

The Daruma as a gift

Most gifts are finished the moment you hand them over. A Daruma isn't. How to give one, when it fits best, and what to write in the card.

By The Orunoki team 4 min read

An ink painting of one hand passing a small cream gift box tied with red string to another, with a tiny red Daruma inside.
A gift that asks a question.

The short answer

A Daruma makes a meaningful gift for anyone starting something, from a new year or exams to a new job or business. Give it with both eyes blank, so the person you give it to paints the first eye for their own goal. In Japan, Daruma are a common gift of encouragement, bought for exams, new businesses and elections.

Think about the last gift you gave. The moment it left your hands, it was finished. Opened, thanked, put away.

A Daruma is different. It arrives unfinished on purpose, with two blank white eyes. The person who receives it has to decide something before it is complete: what they want, badly enough to paint an eye for it. Then it sits on their shelf, half finished, until they get there.

That is what makes it such a good gift. It does not say "here is a thing." It says "I believe you'll do it," without making a speech.

Why is a Daruma a good gift?

In Japan, the Daruma is a popular gift of encouragement, because it always stands back up. Weighted at the base, it rocks and rights itself however many times it is knocked over. Giving one is a way of saying that setbacks are part of the plan.

Three large wrestlers in dark robes crowd around a tiny open box holding two Daruma. One studies it through small reading glasses, one stares, one points at it proudly.
A small box, taken very seriously.

It is also a gift that keeps a conversation going. Once someone has painted the first eye, you know their goal. You can ask how it's going. And when they paint the second eye, you'll want to be there.

When to give a Daruma

Give a Daruma to anyone at the start of something. In Japan, people buy them before exams, when opening a business and, famously, when running for election. Here are the moments we think it fits best.

  • The New Year. The traditional Daruma season. Temple markets across Japan sell them in January, and a new year is the natural moment for a new goal. Here is the full New Year ritual.
  • Exams and studies. Students in Japan often buy a Daruma before a big exam. Paint one eye before the first paper, the other on results day.
  • A new job or a promotion. One eye for the first day. The second for the first big win.
  • Opening a business. People in Japan often buy a Daruma when they open a business. Gold, for prosperity, is a natural choice.
  • Graduation. For the moment someone stops being a student and has to choose the next goal themselves.
  • A training goal. A first marathon, a comeback from injury, a first season. Green suits it.
  • A wedding or a new home. Two people, one shared goal. Or a Pair, one each.
An ink painting of a small new shop on its opening day, with a curtain at the door and a red Daruma with one eye painted standing on the wooden counter.
A Daruma on the counter of a new shop.

How to give a Daruma

Give it with both eyes blank. The first eye belongs to the person receiving it, because the goal is theirs. Painting it for them would be like writing their wish for them.

A few things make the gift land better:

  1. Choose the color for them. Think about what they are working toward. Pink for love or family, gold for money or a new venture, green for health, white for a good year. When in doubt, red. Our color guide has the full list.
  2. Include a marker or a brush. So they can paint the first eye the moment they decide, not next week.
  3. Explain the ritual in one line. Not everyone knows it. "Paint one eye for your goal. Paint the other when you get there." Our boxes print it inside the lid, so nothing needs explaining.
  4. Offer to be there for the second eye. This is the part people remember.

What to write in the card

Short is better. The doll does most of the talking. A few lines that work:

Paint one eye for the goal. I'll be there for the second.

For the next thing you're going to do. I already know you will.

One goal. Two eyes. No pressure. (Some pressure.)

It always gets back up. So do you.

Giving a Daruma, or two

Here is an idea: give two. One for the person you're giving it to, and one for you. Two goals, side by side on two shelves, and a reason to check in on each other all year.

An open gift box holding a red Daruma and a gold Daruma with blank eyes and a cream marker pen, the ritual printed inside the lid.
The Pair, in red and gold.

The Pair holds two Daruma in any colors you choose, the same one twice included, with a marker for the eyes and the ritual printed inside the lid. For someone with more than one goal, or a whole family, The Full Set has all five colors.

New to the Daruma yourself? Start with what a Daruma is, then how to use one.

Questions

Is a Daruma a good gift?

Yes. In Japan the Daruma is a popular gift of encouragement, because it always stands back up when knocked over. It suits anyone starting something new.

Should I paint the eye before giving a Daruma?

No. Give it with both eyes blank. The person who receives it paints the first eye when they choose their own goal.

Which Daruma color is best as a gift?

Choose by the person's goal. Pink for love or family, gold for money or a new business, green for health, white for a happy year. Red suits anyone and any goal.

When do people buy Daruma in Japan?

Daruma are sold all year, but the main season is the New Year, when Daruma markets are held at temples across Japan in January.

Sources

  1. Daruma, a symbol of perseverance and good luck, Stars and Stripes Okinawa
  2. Daruma fairs (January), Kids Web Japan
  3. Japan Reports, Vol. 48, No. 4, Consulate-General of Japan in Sydney
  4. Takasaki Daruma, a Gunma icon, Visit Gunma

Written by The Orunoki team. We check every fact against the sources above and update the article when we learn more. Last updated .