Good luck charms are loved by the Japanese and can be seen in restaurants and shops but also as key tags. The most famous charm is Daruma who will encourage you to stick to a plan. It comes as a small round doll with a moustache and white blanks instead of the eyes. Fill in a black circle in the right blank while thinking of a whish or when starting a project. Next chose a prominent spot to display your Daruma to remind you not to give up. The other eye is left blank until the wish is fulfilled or your project has been accomplished. The Daruma doll has been modelled after Bodhidharma, the Buddhist monk that ripped off his eye lids because he fell asleep during meditation.

Another popular charm is the Japanese beckoning cat Maneki Neko. The name derives from maneku for to beckon and neko for cat. It has one paw upraised as if beckoning (good luck). Some cats have the right paw up and some the left one which is said to attract money or customers respectively. Some even show both paws up. The most popular type of Maneki Neko depicts a Tricolor or Calico cat but there are also some pink, black or gold ones with each colour representing a special topic. Some Maneki Neko come with a slot and can be used as piggy bank.

So why don’t you get some help from one of our good luck charms?