daruma doll; tumbling doll; good-luck doll
A round, red-painted doll modeled after Bodhidharma; often used as a good-luck charm with one blank eye painted in when a wish is made, and the other when fulfilled.
He won the election and painted in the daruma's eye.
I bought a daruma doll at New Year's and painted in its left eye while making a wish.
だるまは倒れても起き上がるので、縁起物とされている。
Because a daruma doll rights itself when knocked over, it is considered a lucky charm.
Bodhidharma
The Buddhist monk traditionally credited with bringing Zen to China; historical/religious context.
達磨大師は禅宗の開祖とされている。
Bodhidharma is regarded as the founder of Zen Buddhism.
Rare slang usage; possibly from the resemblance of a reclining prostitute to a daruma doll.
江戸時代の俗語で、遊女を「だるま」と呼ぶことがあった。
In Edo-period slang, prostitutes were sometimes called 'daruma'.
A large daruma doll is displayed at the shop's entrance.
だるま is a round, red Daruma doll used for setting and tracking goals, whereas 福助 is a seated, large-headed figure kept simply as a lucky charm.
The all-purpose counter for small discrete objects, used when no more specific counter applies.
As a doll figure, 達磨 can be counted with 体, though 個 is more natural in everyday speech.
Bodhidharma memorial ceremony
confusing poem; incomprehensible song
barge; lighter
Daruma pond frog
cookiecutter shark; cigar shark
Usually written in kana; the kanji form 達磨 is also used but less common.
Katakana spelling, sometimes used for emphasis or in commercial contexts.
Kanji form; used in formal or historical contexts.
From the name of Bodhidharma (達磨), the Buddhist monk. The doll is said to be modeled after the legend that Bodhidharma's limbs atrophied after years of meditation, giving it a rounded, limbless shape.