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.
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.
Bodhidharma is regarded as the founder of Zen Buddhism.
Rare slang usage; possibly from the resemblance of a reclining prostitute to a daruma doll.
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.
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.