Ome Daruma Market, a traditional event, will be held on January 12 (Mon. holiday) from 13:30 to 20:00 around JR Ome Station.
Ome Daruma Market, a tradition at the beginning of the year
At the “Ome Daruma Market,” held every year on January 12 regardless of the day of the week, the old Ome Kaido Road is closed to vehicular traffic for 600 meters and Daruma dolls line both sides of the road. There are 200 to 300 stalls, including Daruma doll stores, and more than 10,000 people visit the market every year, not only from the local area but also from all over Japan. At Sumiyoshi Shrine, old Daruma dolls are burned in thanksgiving.
Although there are no reliable records of the origin of Daruma Market, it is said to date back to the Azuchi-Momoyama period (about 400 years ago) or the Muromachi period (about 550 years ago), and is said to have started as Rokusai-ichi, or Rokusai Market, at that time.
Rokusai-ichi is a monthly barter market held on the second and seventh days of the month in Ome, mainly for textiles. There, “mayudama (cocoon-shaped dumplings made of rice flour and attached to a number of boxwood trees)” were sold to pray for the prosperity of sericulture, which was the center of industry in the Ome area. With the decline of the sericulture industry, the “cocoon balls” disappeared and only Daruma dolls remained, along with open-air markets, and the Daruma Market remains as one of Ome’s most popular events.
The Benefits of Colorful Daruma
The Tokyo Daruma is characterized by gold leaf around the eyes and fewer whiskers than the Takasaki Daruma. In addition to the standard red Daruma dolls, Daruma fairs also feature a variety of colorful Daruma dolls. Each has different benefits, so it is recommended to choose a Daruma of the right color for the person you are giving it to when you bring it home.
White: success, fulfillment of a great desire
Green: traffic safety, personal safety
Purple Longevity, good health
Blue Academic success, personal safety
Gold: Increase in money, prosperous business
Black: protection from evil, business prosperity
Yellow Good fortune, realization of dreams
Pink Happiness, love
Red: protection from evil, good health
The Daruma dolls lined up here are splendid traditional crafts, with different faces at each store. Why don’t you walk around looking for the Daruma doll of your choice?
Ome Daruma Market
📅January 12 (Mon., holiday) 13:30-20:00
📍 Old Ome Kaido Road in Ome City (from Sumie-cho intersection to Ome Cultural Exchange Center intersection)
👉Official website