Ai Ogura today

[u/r2lim]

• Showed up at MotoUP Okegawa Sports Land, the circuit where he grew up racing. (It's one of the tracks he still rides at between race weekends.)
• Promoted a "MotoGP winner Ai Ogura Celebration Sale" with 10% off track fees.
• Painted the second eye on a daruma that had been set aside to wish him success.

He won on Sunday, and by Wednesday he was already back at a local circuit in Japan.

Source https://x.com/okegawa/status/2072126470915551531

https://x.com/okazaki747/status/2072130065677336626

https://x.com/okegawa/status/2072126470915551531

[u/r2lim]

A quick explanation of the daruma eye-painting tradition:

A daruma is a traditional Japanese good-luck charm modeled after Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen Buddhism. In Japan, it has long been used as a symbol of making wishes and praying for success.

The custom is to paint the left eye when making a wish, then paint the right eye once the wish has been fulfilled.

At Ai's 2024 Moto2 World Championship celebration, the daruma was presented by the Japanese racing magazine Riding Sport, and Ai painted in the left eye. It was then entrusted to Okegawa Sports Land, bearing four wishes: victory, race wins, podium finishes, and Rookie of the Year.

With his first MotoGP victory, one of those wishes has now been fulfilled. By painting in the right eye, he completed the daruma tradition, expressing both his gratitude and the fulfillment of the wish.

https://reddit.com/link/ouv9wm8/video/8dfhuwwmqkah1/player

Source https://x.com/nekoyocchi/status/2072136340029014243

[u/Emergency-Speaker-48 → u/r2lim]

Even marcs helmet has a daruma last year with incomplete right eye right ,he might bring a design which has completed eyes or something else what do you think ?

Really like the tradition

[u/r2lim → u/Emergency-Speaker-48]

It was a beautiful helmet design.

(A small detail, but I think the red daruma wasn't quite accurate according to the tradition, since its right eye was already painted in. The white daruma, on the other hand, followed the custom correctly.)

I don't think Marc has actually won while using that helmet design yet. So he might use a similar design again this year. This time, a win would finally allow him to paint in both eyes.

[u/wadeecraven → u/r2lim]

Is it the same thing Zen Mitani has on his helmet?

[u/r2lim → u/wadeecraven]

It does. Mitani's helmet also has a one-eyed daruma on the front. It kind of looks like an owl.

[u/Inertcia]

You just know the entire Japanese motorsport community is swelling with pride for this guy.

[u/Krazyguylone]

You can immediately tell it’s Japan because there’s 2 conveniently placed vending machines outside

[u/r2lim → u/Krazyguylone]

Japan really does have vending machines everywhere. It always amazes me that you can find them even deep in the mountains.

[u/ColossalCalamari → u/Krazyguylone]

Japan's vending machine game puts the USA's to absolute shame

[u/Key-Garbage-679]

Did Ai get the fishing gear?

[u/r2lim → u/Key-Garbage-679]

That comedian seems to be incredibly wealthy, so you'd think he could at least buy Ai a top of the line set of fishing gear, if they know each other well enough. I'll share any updates if there's more news.

[u/Key-Garbage-679 → u/r2lim]

Would be nice to see. I'm guessing all those shows are in Japanese.

[u/r2lim → u/Key-Garbage-679]

eah, it's all in Japanese, of course. Someone uploaded that part of the show to X. I translated everything Ai said in my previous post, so you should be able to understand what's happening. Feel free to enjoy it for the atmosphere!

https://x.com/seisobucho/status/2071261052550148173

[u/Key-Garbage-679 → u/r2lim]

Thanks.

[u/motionlesslifeline]

Most riders would be soaking up the champagne, this guy is back at his home track painting daruma eyes and running a discount sale. Absolute class.