It's hard to relate to Daruma dolls as a toy in the usual way - it’s neither a plaything nor a decoration. In fact, the Daruma doll has a special role as a reminder to set goals and encouraging you to work hard and achieve them.
I buy a new Daruma during each visit to Japan and set a goal upon returning. Then I work hard to realise it. Daruma is thought to come from Shorinzan Temple in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture. Maybe my next goal would to be visit the temple... Also it could be interesting to try not just eyes, but the whole Daruma at one of the master-classes in Japan.
Daruma dolls are usually bought at the end of a year to set goals for the following one, a kind of New Year's resolution. The dolls are sold eyeless with one eye is painted when you set your goal. The one-eyed Daruma then watches you with its single eye. The second eye is then painted once your goal is achieved. Once successful, the tradition is to offer the doll to a temple though I tend to keep mine as mementos.
As I type this, my one-eyed Daruma is watching me work...
