Daruma-San

Background: 

Daruma-San, also known as the bath game, originated in Japan. It’s  a variation of the common game of Red Light, Green Light. However, in this ritual, you are ‘IT’ and Daruma— a doll ironically often used for good luck, though of course not in this situation —is trying to catch you. Of course the goal is for you not to get caught.

Materials: 

  • Bathroom with a bathtub

How to Play:

  1. At night, before you go to bed, take a bath. It MUST be before MIDNIGHT. IF you fail to follow this rule, you are allowing her to enter your dreams.
  2. Specifically remove all clothing, THEN enter the bathroom. Fill the bathtub.
  3. Turn of all the lights.
  4. Get into the tub, facing the faucet, then sit. Close your eyes and start washing your hair.
  5. While washing your hair, repeat: “Daruma-San fell down.” Continue to repeat until you finished washing your hair. DO NOT OPEN YOUR EYES.
  6. If completed correctly, a Japanese woman standing in a bathtub will mentally appear in your mind. Then, she will slip and fall face first, gashing her right eye out.
  7. IF you hear or feel anything behind you in the tub, DO NOT turn around OR open your eyes.
  8. Ask: “Why did you fall in the bathtub?”
  9. Let the question linger in the air.
  10. Keep your eyes closed, and mindfully get out of the tub, while not falling yourself. DO NOT drain the tub.
  11. Exit the bathroom and close the door behind you.
  12. Open your eyes now. DO NOT turn on any lights until daylight.
  13. Go to sleep.

The Grand Event:

  1. Wake up as you usually do. Once you wake up, the game has begun!
  2. Continue you as you would any normal day. HOWEVER, you’ll feel a presence behind you throughout the day. IF you glance behind your right shoulder, you may see her. She will have black, tangled hair and only one eye.
  3. She will try to get closer and closer to you as the day continues (much like Red Light, Green Light).
  4. IF she gets too close, yell: “Tomare!” (“Stop!”) and run away. This will put distance between you two. However, each time you use this, the time to stall her will shorten each time.
  5. DO NOT LET HER CATCH YOU. The longer you play, she will grow stronger.

How to End the Game:

  1. Catch her in your line of sight. She will try to hide. Always have her in your sights.
  2. Shout: “Kitta!” (“I cut you loose!”) as you move your arm in a chopping motion. IF this is done right, you won.
  3. IF not, RUN. IF she wins: She will kill or possess you.

Would I play?

No. I don’t necessarily believe anything will happen, but I’m still paranoid and reluctant to play.

 

33 thoughts on “Daruma-San”

  1. Wow, this is definitely a game I would be very reluctant to play. It sounds super creepy, but I am also kind of intrigued by the suspense of what could possibly happen. I really like how the blog is structured, and I think you have done a really good job with it so far! One thing I would add to it would be some visuals. Add in some pictures, possibly of the people playing each game, and I think it will add another layer of depth to your posts. Overall though, I really like this!

  2. It is a good thing most dorms do not have bathtubs, because I know I would eventually do this sometime when I am bored. The style in which you made your blog made me feel like I was reading a ghost story, waiting to hear what will happen next. Kind of made me look around and make sure there was not anyone following me around.

  3. This reminded me of the elementary school game “bloody Mary.” When I was in 4th grade the boys wanted to seem “tough” and play bloody Mary in and out of school. They made all the girls in the school to think that the game actually worked and they survived their encounter with bloody Mary. This scared all of the girls, except me of course I was curious (I was a weird kid). So I went home, told my younger cousin about the game, and attempted to perform it. The process was suddenly stopped by my dad when he abruptly opened the door of the bathroom and caught us in our act.

    You should do a segment on Haitian Voodoo. I’d want to show my dad (he’s Haitian) because he jokes about Voodoo all the time.

      1. yeah. u would definitely NOT play this. i cried while reading the instructions. absolutely not😭

  4. I am going to be doing this tonight. I will edit my comment in the afternoon to tell you how it went. I have anxiety, also, so THIS will be fun o,w,o

  5. I think if u ever try to play this game at midnight then I wouldn’t even play or mess with this demon girl cause am scared of what might happen to me like I know it’s just creepy and all but I think some of you guys would recommend to try and play this game “the bath game Aka Daruma-San” IF U ARE BRAVE ENOUGH TO PLAY AT YOUR OWN RISK or just by playing it by YOURSELF

  6. What if you’re doing this in a YouTube video and you’re completely naked. Wouldn’t that get you demonetized?I would just wear a bathing suit. I don’t think it’ll work because it says completely nude.

  7. I really want to try this, but I’m also very paranoid when it comes to the supernatural, or like, Japanese urban legends, because I believe that they are all real. And it would be embarrassing to just yell out stuff in public 😅.

  8. I really want to try this, but I’m also very paranoid when it comes to the supernatural, or like, Japanese urban legends, because I believe that they are all real. And it would be embarrassing to just yell out stuff in public 😅.

  9. So hear me out, I have OCD which leads me to have intrusive thoughts- do I have to chant it or will my intrusive thoughts fuck up and I’ll end up summoning a demon by accident-

  10. 🙂 Why would I play if I have to die in the end?
    This is so dangerous. I thought Daruma doll had another story. But it looks like it’s an urban legend like 😐 I don’t know, an urban legend. not a Kamisama??

  11. I really wanna do it but my parents wouldnt let me ;-; can anyone tell me what it was like?? will she kill kids under 15?

    1. Seriously?
      You really wanna play that game?
      Do you really want an urban legend follow you for eternity and make them enter your dreams?
      If i were you don’t do it
      What if you fail?
      Isn’t it dangerous?
      She might kill the player even if it’s any age in my opinion.
      So yeah i swear don’t do it
      It’s absolutely dangerous.

  12. Ok so,thsi might be a stupid question but uh,

    Is it possible to do the bath tub game without a bath tub?

    (Just askin,but please answer)

  13. you guys DON’T DO THIS!!!! My cousin tried this once and she said it was the most traumatic thing she has ever gone through!!! She said she saw her and then didn’t find her at the end. 2 days later my aunt walked in her room and found her dead.

  14. My mom “it sounds to me like you just want to be mean and blame demon possession.” Me “whispers it sounds to me like you are just to chicken to let me play.” P.s. NO REPLYING PLES!!!!

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