TAKASAKI, Gunma Prefecture—Thousands of daruma dolls, symbols of good luck and perseverance, were given a fiery ceremonial send-off at a Zen Buddhist temple here on Jan. 15. A towering pile of ...

People visit Kawagoe Kitain every year to have their old daruma burned and to purchase new ones at the many stalls selling dolls of all colours and sizes, so be sure to arrive early while supplies ...

At the beginning of the new year, the people of Maebashi and visitors gather to destroy the large versions of last year’s daruma dolls. People can donate their dolls to a bonfire and ...

The Hatsuichi Festival has been running for about 400 years and takes the ideas of daruma (Japanese dolls associated with good luck and prosperity) to a public forum. At the beginning of the new year, ...

He now uses it to make traditional Daruma dolls, Japanese symbols of good fortune. Using old jeans from his clients, Shimizu makes one-of-a-kind Daruma that they'll never want to let go.

Daruma dolls, battledores ... “We are receiving a growing number of requests for memorial services from people who say they cannot bring themselves to part with their objects via a simple ...