Daruma, or Daruma Dolls, are a Japanese good luck charm. They are a highly stylized representation of a 6th monk known as Bodhidharma.
Bodhidharma is an interesting figure surrounded in many wild legends. For example, it's said that he meditated for 9 years until his arms and legs fell off due to atrophy. By all accounts, he was something of a wild man and a grump. He is credited with introducing physical training at the famous Shaolin Temple in China when he got tired of looking at out-of-shape monks. Little is known about the historical Bodhidharma, even the dates of his life and country of origin are unknown. He is nevertheless credited with having a great influence on Buddhism in China.
Daruma were invented by Shorinzan Darumaji Temple in the city of Takasaki in Gunma Prefecture in the 1700s. The area had many silk farmers, a difficult profession that's thought to require luck. The farmers put pressure on the temple to come up with better good luck charms whenever a season failed. This resulted in the good luck charm innovation that produced Daruma.
The Takasaki area still produces 80% of Japan's Daruma Dolls. They are hollow papier-mache charms that come in a variety of styles that are usually cute. They are traditionally sold without pupils. You fill in one pupil when you set a goal and fill the other when the goal is achieved.
Daruma Dolls have a weight at the bottom and right themselves if you push them over. They are associated with the phrase "nanakorobi yaoki", meaning "seven times down, eight times up" and are considered symbols of perseverance.
As with any Japanese charm, it's considered bad form to dispose of a Daruma in the trash. They should be burned in a Dondo Yaki ceremony in January.