Yesterday we did something that was easily one of the coolest things we’ve ever done in Japan. We had a Super Awesome Secret Mission for Anime Expo–we went to the Daruma Factory to get special custom Daruma for this year’s event! They’ve posted the video on YouTube now, so here are a few pictures, and that YouTube surprise I mentioned yesterday 🙂

You may be familiar with Daruma, the traditional Japanese toy/good luck charm which is usually bought at the start of the New Year, or the beginning of a new project. You might not know that Daruma are actually from our area, with over 80% of Darumas made in Japan coming from Gunma every year. There’s even a temple dedicated to the Daruma, which holds a massive festival in January every year.

Yesterday we got to check out the production of these traditional toys, and even special ordered 2 of the largest ones they had on hand just for Anime Expo. Watching the artist work was an amazing experience–he was so skilled and talented. They kept the shop open late for us, but he worked so fast that it was incredible to watch.

Dude is so famous, he’s on a poster for Gunma!

Time to pack it up, with the Bodhidharma watching over! The final product will be at Anime Expo 🙂 What do you think?