We learned about the cities of Fukushima prefecture in our English reading
class. When we learned about Shirakawa-shi, that reminded me of youth.
I had lived there for eight years from ten to eighteen years old. I would like to tell you about a local handcraft, Shirakawa's Daruma dolls. In the late 17th century, Matsudaira Sadanobu, a lord of Shirakawa, promoted Daruma-making in order to develop the local industry. Sadanobu ordered a famous painter Tani Bunchou to paint Daruma dolls. It is said the face of Shirakawa's Daruma dolls came from Bunchou's paintings. Their eyebrows are in the shape of cranes, their beard and whisker are in the shape of turtles, pine trees, and apricots, which are thought to be lucky things. So Daruma dolls bring us good fortune.
The Shirakawa's Daruma dolls fair is held in the center of Shirakawa-shi on the 11th of February. Recently more than 150 thousand people visit there and most of them buy Daruma dolls. Every year my wife and I go to the fair and buy a Daruma. When my wife buys one, she always asks them whether they can reduce the price. She believes that if she can buy a cheaper one, she can become happier. l don' t know whether this is true or not.
I like Daruma dolls, for it is made to always return to its original position even if knocked over. If I face a difficult situation, I will try to bounce back like the Daruma dolls do.