The Daruma is a roundish, armless, legless doll that is said to represent an ancient Buddhist hermit/priest, who meditated on a mountain for so long without moving that he lost the use of his legs.

It has a weighted base so that it rights itself no matter how often it is tipped over, and stands for the spirit of “try, try and try again.”

The Japanese words on this etegami are from a song that is sung to accompany a child’s game where one tries to stare down an opponent. “Daruma, daruma, let’s play the staring game!” The first one to look away or burst out laughing loses.