Well known Japanese manga artist Mizuku Shigeru whose hit horror manga series is Ge Ge Ge no Kitaro, and innovative design studio Nendo, have collaborated on the production of the Yokai Daruma dolls. The inspiration for the design is based on the traditional Japanese dolls, Daruma, that are painted red and sold at temples throughout Japan and are a symbol of good luck and Yokai which means monster.
The initial 8 dolls in the series are on sale for 2.000 Yen each from Idea International. A percentage of the profits will be donated to “Made in Japan”, a non-profit organization founded to encourage the development of local businesses and promote the continuation of traditional crafts in Japan by means of seminars as well as financial aid.
The characters of the dolls include ‘nedana no oyaji’ – eyeball father,’ mezumi otoko’ – rat man and ‘nurikabe’ – plaster wall. Plans are ahead to extend the series of dolls if they become popular with collectors.
