The daruma, with its vivid red color and distinctive "crane" eyebrows and "turtle" whiskers, is a traditional industry where Takasaki City boasts Japan's largest production.

Visit the Takasaki Daruma® workshop to learn about the wishes and history embodied in its shape and paintings, then experience painting your own daruma under craftsman guidance. This will be your unique, one-of-a-kind daruma. You can take your completed daruma home (shipping is available for an additional fee).

Over 200 years ago, Mt. Asama had a major eruption. The Kanto region, covered in volcanic ash, suffered from a severe famine.

People at that time turned to daruma for hope. The origin of Takasaki daruma is traced to when Master Tougoku of Shorinzan Darumaji Temple taught the manufacturing method to Tomogoro Yamagata of Toyooka Village.

Takasaki daruma's eyebrows represent a "crane" and its whiskers represent a "turtle." These animals symbolize good fortune in Japan, with the saying "cranes live for a thousand years, turtles for ten thousand." As a good luck charm, it has been beloved by many people since ancient times.