Live from Japan!

When we came to America in September to visit our family, my old supervisor sent with me three daruma dolls, as gifts for each of our families. The daruma is a famous Japanese wishing doll. They are round in shape and do not have their eyes drawn in. When a person purchases, or receives, a daruma they think of a wish that they have while the draw in one of the eyes, usually the left one.

The daruma is then placed in a high place in ones home until the wish comes true. Once the wish comes true the second eye is drawn in and the doll can be returned to the temple where it was purchased for ritual burning.

My mom, Sue, had made her wish with her daruma when she received it in September and, since then, her wish had come true. So, she brought the daruma back to Japan with her and she wanted to visit the temple where it was purchased, Dairyu-ji, so that she could return it.

So, yesterday we boarded a bus, all four of us and went to Diaryu-ji. Ewan made the trip, like all the other places we have gone with him, without even noticing that he had left the house. We strapped him in a carrier and he slept the whole way. It wasn’t until we got to the train station again on our way home that he woke up.

It was a nice little temple, just about 30 minutes from Gifu station and it was a beautiful day. My mom returned her daruma and Aaron and I bought one for ourselves. Now we just have to think of a wish for it.

More photos on flickr!