At Katsuo-ji Temple, Daruma dolls watch from every corner. They peer between tree branches, cluster around altars, and dot winding pathways, flashes of bright red among the hillside forest.

While the cherub figurines wearing a wide range of hats - from garlic tops and pear caps - are manufactured by Japanese toy manufacturer Toru Soeya, Labubu dolls are the brainchild of Hong Kong ...