Daruma Festival

Over the weekend we went to Kiryu for their Daruma fair at Fumonji Temple.  Here is a "Daruma" figure.  It is modeled after the founder of the Zen sect of Buddhism.

These guys are supposed to bring you good fortune and it is a tradition to buy one of them at the beginning of the new year and color in one of their eyes while making a wish.  When the wish comes true, you then color in the other eye.

They had a stack of old Daruma figures that people brought to be burned at the temple.

Drew and I purchased the smallest one we could find.  We'll have to wait and see if it brings us any good luck this year.