Bali Hai

The cotton wool clouds, the fine grains of black volcanic sands, the clean sea waters - one can just lie on the beach and while the time away with a tan beneath the balmy tropical sun...

The Volcanic Islets Of Onuma

Ōnuma Park is known for its picturesque, island dotted lakes and majestic dormant volcano, Mount Komagatake. Surrounded by birch and maple forests, a total of 128 small islands can be found in its lakes...

A Journey Over Mountains & Waters

A land of rocky mountains, snaking rivers, steep slopes, deep valleys, and harsh barren terrain. Yet in some places, lush greenery and crystal-clear azure waters abound...

The Bluest Pacific Seas

In the middle of the Pacific Oceans lies an archipelago of islands formed from the fiercest violent volcanoes and made of the browns and greys of cooled lava rocks. The resulting landscape is breathtaking in its purest greens and blues...

Sounkyo's Silver Streams

Bordered by 100-metre cliffs formed by the erosion of tuff, Sounkyo Gorge is situated at the foot of Mount Daisetsuzan - the "roof of Hokkaido", and stretches for 24 kilometres along the Ishikari River...

The Takasaki Daruma Doll

Daruma Dolls are seen as a symbol of perseverance and good luck, making them a popular gift of encouragement. Daruma Dolls are hollow and weighted at the bottom so that they will always return to an upright position when tilted over. This characteristic has come to symbolize the ability to have success, overcome adversity and recover from the misfortune, according to the phrase “seven times down, eight times up”.
 
Prosperity Daruma Dolls at the entrance of the Japan Business Expo held recently in Singapore...
 
Daruma Dolls come in many different colours, each with its associated symbolism... 
  
The eyes of the Daruma Doll are often blank when sold.
 

 
If you want your dream to come true, you first need to fill in the left eye thinking about your wish. The pained eye will always be open and focused on the set goal. Once the goal is accomplished, the other eye is filled in, thus giving the Daruma Doll full sight.
 
  
The number of Daruma Dolls produced in Takasaki reached nearly one million in recent years, making it one of the centres of production for this traditional doll. For business opportunities in Takasaki, read Merlion Wayfarer's coverage of the Japan Business Expo - Takasaki Day in Singapore on 18 November 2016.