Overview

• Rev. Seishi Hirose, chief priest of Shorinzan Daruma-ji Temple in Takasaki, presented the doll to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Tokyo, an exchange confirmed by official posts from MEA and the PMO.
• The Daruma, a hollow papier-mâché figure weighted to spring upright, symbolizes perseverance and good fortune, echoing the proverb “fall down seven times, get up eight.”
• Modelled on Bodhidharma—known in Japan as Daruma Daishi and often linked to Kancheepuram—the doll reflects deep cultural ties between India and Japan.
• Customarily, one eye is painted when setting a goal and the other upon its fulfillment, with many dolls later returned to temples for ceremonial burning.
• Context for the visit includes Modi’s meetings with former prime ministers Yoshihide Suga and Fumio Kishida and his address to a business forum on technology, semiconductors, green energy, and cooperation such as the Joint Credit Mechanism.