Daruma-ji

Daruma-ji has a statue memorializing Prince Shōtoku's dog Yukimaru,^[11][12] who was said to be able to understand speech and could read Buddhist writings.^[13] Yukimaru's association with Daruma-ji inspired the city of Ōji to use Yukimaru as the Yuru-chara (mascot) for the city beginning in 2013.^[14][13]

Daruma-ji has several artifacts that are designated as cultural properties. The hōjō was constructed in 1667 and became a prefecture-designated tangible cultural property in 1989.^[15]

The Daruma-ji Chukoki Sekido (Japanese: 達磨寺中興記石幢, lit. 'Stone Column Recording the Revival of Daruma-ji') is a stone monument erected in 1448, describing the restoration of the temple during the Muromachi period, which was supported by the Muromachi bakufu.^[6] The stone became a nationally designated important cultural property in 1923. In 2000, a stone was found in the base of the Chukoki stone which was inscribed in 1442, along with a Bizen ware pot and an incense burner that were subsequently assigned as nationally designated cultural properties.^[16]

The temple has a wooden seated statue of Daruma, made in 1430 and commissioned by Ashikaga Yoshinori, that was designated as an important cultural property in 1909.^[17] The temple also has a wooden seated statue of Prince Shōtoku that was designated as an important cultural property in 1923.^[18] A pair of paintings at the temple, one of Prince Shōtoku and one of Daruma, are designated as important cultural property^[19] along with a silk painting of the Buddha's death. The silk painting was originally held by the temple^[20] and is now held at the Nara National Museum.^[21] A wooden seated statue of Senju Kannon created during the Muromachi period was designated a tangible cultural property in 2005.^[22]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Darumaji (Oji, Nara).

• Official website (Japanese)