Shirakawa Daruma is a traditional craft of Fukushima Prefecture. It is said to have originated about 300 years ago, when Sadanobu Matsudaira, the lord of Shirakawa Castle at the time, had his people learn the art of Daruma doll making and set up a Daruma market in front of the Otemon Gate on the 14th day of the first lunar month, which is a day of the New Year. (Today, it is held on February 11.)
Since ancient times, whenever people have wished for good health for their families, prosperity for their companies, success in high school or university, or election results, Shirakawa Daruma dolls have always been by their side to support their dreams and hopes. The most distinctive feature of the Shirakawa Daruma is the depiction of "cranes, turtles, pine trees, bamboo, and plum," which is considered a symbol of good fortune, on its face, which is said to have been designed by the famous painter Tani Buncho. When making a wish, the Daruma doll is traditionally placed with its left eye first, and when the wish is fulfilled, the doll's right eye is placed.
Daruma dolls are figurines or toys modeled after the seated figure of Daruma, the founder of the Zen sect of Buddhism, and are now widely popular not only among Zen Buddhists but also among other religions and sects as good-luck charms. It is said that it is best to display Daruma facing east or south for good luck. The Daruma doll's eyes are said to be based on the esoteric Buddhist concept of "A-Un", which means the beginning of all things. A" represents the beginning of everything, and "Un" represents the end. A-Un" represents the beginning of everything and "A-Un" represents the end of everything.
The fact that the left eye is the first to be filled is derived from the Yin-Yang Five Elements. The red of the Daruma represents fire, and fire represents the direction of South. According to the Yin-Yang Five Elements, things are born in the East and lost in the West, and it is said that when the Daruma doll faces South, East represents the direction of the left eye and West represents the direction of the right eye. Therefore, in general, if you wish to make a wish, you should pray on a good day (O-an, Tomohiki, Sokatsu) by putting ink in the left eye of the Daruma doll (the right eye as you face the doll). If you do not make a special wish, please put both eyes on the doll and display it. Daruma dolls are also meant to ward off bad luck, so if you want to pray for the safety of your family, it would be better to put both eyes on the doll.
Shirakawa City is located in the center of southern Fukushima Prefecture, overlooking the Nasu Mountain Range, approximately 90 kilometers from the center of the city to Fukushima City, the prefectural capital, and approximately 185 kilometers from central Tokyo. The city extends approximately 30 kilometers from east to west and 30 kilometers from north to south, with a total area of 305.32 square kilometers, about half of which is covered by mountains and forests.
Many rivers, including the Abukuma, Sha, and Kumado Rivers, run through the city, and the headwaters of these rivers are rich in farmland, creating a rich rural landscape. In the center of the city, a compact urban area stretches from east to west along the Abukuma River.
In terms of transportation, the city is blessed with a high-speed transportation system that includes the Tohoku Shinkansen bullet train, which connects the city center in about 1 hour and 30 minutes, the Tohoku Expressway, and Fukushima Airport, which is a 30-minute drive away, as well as the JR Tohoku Main Line, National Routes 4, 289, and 294, which are trunk roads, providing convenient access to the metropolitan area and wide area transportation. Shirakawa City has been a center of song and dance since ancient times.
Shirakawa City is home to the "Shirakawa Seki Site," which has been famous since ancient times as a place for poetic poems; "Nanko Park," said to be the oldest park in Japan, built by Sadanobu Matsudaira, lord of the Shirakawa domain, as a place for "samurai and people to enjoy together"; "Komine Castle," said to have been built by Prince Yuki in the Nanboku Dynasty; "Seigaiwa," a giant stone named by Yoshitsune Minamoto after a Buddhist monk, located at the foot of Mt. Shirakawa Lantern Festival, one of the three major lantern festivals in Japan, and many other historical and cultural assets have been handed down to the present day.
Please consider commemorative gifts using“Shirakawa Daruma”.
We accept a variety of requests,
including letterhead sets and Japanese paper accessories,
as well as items such as the souvenir example.
Since ancient times, Shirakawa has been considered important as the keystone of Oshu and has been mentioned in documents. After the Taika Reform, Shirakawa became the center of Shirakawa County in Mutsu Province, and "Shirakawa Seki" was established at the border between Mutsu Province and Shimono Province. It had the largest area in Mutsu Province and was also listed in the Engishiki Shinmeicho as one of the three Oshu shrines as the great ancestral deity of the founding of the country.
In the Kamakura period (1185-1333), Shirakawa-sho was given to Asamitsu Yuki, who was active under Minamoto no Yoritomo, and for the next 400 years the Shirakawa Yuki clan ruled Shirakawa in the Middle Ages. Among them, Munehiro Yuki, who was active in the Nanbokucho Period, was a military commander representing the Southern Court of Oshu.
The Yuki family's home castle was Shirakawa Castle in Lenome, but Komine Castle was newly built during the Nanboku-cho period as the residence of Yuki Oyamasa.
In 1869 (Meiji 2), the area was included in Shirakawa Prefecture, and in 1871 (Meiji 4), Nihonmatsu Prefecture, which continued to be included in Fukushima Prefecture. In 1879, Nishi-Shirakawa County was established, and in 1889, the town of Shirakawa was established.
In 1949, Shirakawa Town and Onuma Village merged to form Shirakawa City, and in 2005, Shirakawa City, Omotego Village, Daishin Village, and Higashi Village merged to form the new "Shirakawa City" through the so-called "Heisei no Dai merger".
Please consider commemorative gifts using“Shirakawa Daruma”.
We accept a variety of requests,
including letterhead sets and Japanese paper accessories,
as well as items such as the souvenir example.