Osaka, Japan
CNN
—
At Katsuo-ji Temple, Daruma dolls watch from every corner. They peer between tree branches, cluster around altars, and dot winding pathways, flashes of bright red among the hillside forest.
The iconic Japanese dolls range from a couple of inches to several feet in height, and there are thousands of them at the 1,300-year-old temple, located about an hour from downtown Osaka in Minoh National Park.
According to the temple, Katsuo-ji became known as the “Daruma temple” about 100 years ago, around the same time the site began selling the dolls — a lucky talisman in Japan and a symbol of determination and ambition, which have also become one of the country’s most recognizable and popular souvenirs.
Katsuo-ji has long been associated with success and victory for over a thousand years, with many emperors and shoguns visiting the temple for blessings. Today, it’s frequented by locals before exams or important business meetings.
Marco Fasano, an Italian tour guide living in Japan and founder of Tanuki Stories, has visited Katsuo-ji several times — including for good luck before taking his Japanese Language Proficiency Test.
“There is a whole process that you need to do when you buy the Daruma,” explains Fasano, who first discovered the temple while researching places for his tour itineraries. “You need to think of something that you want to accomplish, write the wish on it, paint one eye, purify the Daruma with some incense, then take it with you.”
Unlike other lucky talismans or rituals, Daruma dolls are not simply about making a wish and hoping it comes true, says Fasano.
“Every time you look at your Daruma, you need to remember that wish and ask yourself, ‘What am I going to do today to achieve that goal?’ It’s about reminding you that you need to work on it.”
The second eye is only filled in once the goal is achieved — at which point, the Daruma doll can be returned to the temple.
“When you go there and you see that all these people had their wish granted, it’s proof that you can do something about your wish as well,” says Fasano.
‘A symbol of perseverance’
Round and red with scowling expressions, the dolls represent the Bodhidharma (or, “Daruma” in Japanese), the fifth-century monk who founded Zen Buddhism.
Followers believe that the monk meditated for so long that he lost his limbs, illustrated by the doll’s rounded shape, which is weighted at the base so it will always stand back up when knocked over.
“It became a symbol of perseverance,” says Fasano. “According to Zen Buddhism, the answers are already inside you. It’s not something that comes suddenly as a gift, but it’s something that you need to work on diligently and find in yourself.”
In another legend, the monk was said to have cut off his eyelids to avoid falling asleep during his meditation, one explanation for the doll’s wide-eyed stare.
Darumas are rich with auspicious imagery, from the lucky red color to the thick eyebrows and beard, which represent cranes and turtles, two animals associated with good luck and longevity in Japan.
Katsuo-ji isn’t the only “Daruma temple” in Japan. In nearby Kyoto, Hōrin-ji “Darumadera” Temple boasts a collection of around 8,000 Darumas, many of which are housed in a specially built hall funded by the temple’s worshippers.
While the dolls can be found all over Japan, around 80% of Daruma dolls are made in Takasaki, a town in Gunma prefecture in the Kanto region, where the traditional papier-mache craft can be traced back around 200 years. Shorinzan Daruma-ji Temple says it started selling the dolls about 220 years ago, and holds an annual “Daruma Market.” According to the temple, visitors began placing dolls around the grounds about 100 years ago.
Katsuo-ji offers visitors two different types of Darumas: the Kachi-Daruma, the classic doll known as “the winning Daruma” which is used to set a specific goal; or the Daruma-Mikuji, known as “the fortune-telling Daruma,” which are only found at Katsuo-ji.
Instead of drawing eyes on the fortune-telling Daruma, visitors ask a question before selecting a doll. Like a fortune cookie, each Daruma-Mijuki contains a tiny scroll of unique written advice that is intended to guide you toward your goal.
“Many visitors take photos and videos of the Daruma-Mikuji placed freely by worshippers throughout the temple grounds, and the Kachi-Daruma enshrined on the offering shelves,” says Yusuke Yamada, a spokesperson for Katsuo-ji Temple, adding that the temple is a “once-in-a-lifetime” experience for many visitors.
A hidden gem
In 2024, Japan saw a record 36.8 million overseas visitors, a 15% increase from pre-pandemic levels.
And while Osaka is the second most popular prefecture for overnight stays, Katsuo-ji is rarely on the itinerary: the temple welcomes between 800,000 to 1 million visitors annually, around 70–80% of whom are from overseas, says Yamada. (By comparison, Asakusa Senso-Ji Temple in Tokyo draws 30 million worshippers annually.)
“Japanese visitors tend to come for the autumn leaves and during the New Year, while overseas visitors come throughout the year,” Yamada adds.
Fasano, who has been based in Osaka since 2023, believes the city is hugely underrated. “People tend to think that in Osaka, there is nothing to do. It’s a city that deserves much more attention,” he says, adding that tourists often don’t budget enough time to visit places like Katsuo-ji, which can take a half day to get to and visit.
To bring in more visitors, Katsuo-ji came up with a creative way to encourage tourists to engage with the Daruma dolls. In May last year, the temple introduced a “stamp rally”: visitors visit six check-in points around the temple grounds in sequence, collecting stamps to create a single image.
The “stamp rally,” like the Darumas, reflects the process of goal achieving: making a deliberate plan and taking it one step at a time, says Fasano. He hopes that the temple will gain more recognition, and inspire more visitors to explore the region.
“If you want to buy the Daruma, rather than buying it in a random shop, getting the Daruma from Katsuo-ji gives a sense that is more powerful,” he adds.