Japan’s Daruma Dolls Get Makeover for Year of the Horse

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:12 JST, November 3, 2025

Daruma dolls resembling horses are lined up in Arai Darumaya, a workshop in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, as 2026 will be the Year of the Horse. The 12-centimeter-tall traditional dolls, which are made of washi paper and clay, have round eyes and cute facial expressions. The store plans to produce about 3,000.