SS39677 / SUN SURF SPECIAL EDITION HAWAIIAN SHIRT “DARUMA”

The daruma, said to be modeled after Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen Buddhism, has long been cherished in Japan as a symbol of good fortune and perseverance. Its distinctive red color is traditionally believed to ward off evil. During the Edo period, when smallpox outbreaks spread across Japan, red daruma were widely used as protective charms against the disease, and this custom became deeply rooted in Japanese folk tradition. That tradition was carried across the ocean by Japanese immigrants to Hawaii. Forced to leave their homeland and build new lives in an unfamiliar land, these immigrants found emotional support in the culture and customs of Japan. Wearing auspicious motifs was one expression of that attachment. While aloha shirts often featured symbols of good luck and prosperity, shirts depicting the daruma are exceptionally rare in the vintage world, making surviving examples highly prized and notably scarce. This particular piece was produced by S. Hata Shoten, a company that, together with Ichida, one of Japan’s major textile trading houses, imported Japanese-made fabrics such as rayon chirimen crepe, silk habutae, and Polynesian prints, supplying them to local Hawaiian brands. More than a garment, this work stands as a vivid reminder of the sentiments Japanese immigrants held for their homeland, carrying with it a quiet but unmistakable sense of longing for Japan. TITLE： “DARUMA” ORIGINAL BRAND NAME： S.HATA SHOTEN ESTIMATED MANUFACTURING DATES： LATE 1950s FABRIC： RAYON KABE CREPE PRINTING METHOD： OVER PRINTING PRINTING PATTERN： ORIENTAL DESIGN