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Hina doll

Hinamatsuri: Doll’s Day

Hinamatsuri (雛祭り) is a special celebration held each year on the 3rd of March in Japan. Platforms with red carpet are laden with traditional Japanese dolls that are displayed in all their glory. The ornamental dolls are called hina-ningyō and they represent the Emperor and Empress of Japan and all their attendants and musicians of the Heian period, all dressed in traditional court attire.Hina Matsuri - Dolls FestivalDuring the Heian period, people believed that dolls had the power to hold evil spirits within them and the tradition of displaying dolls began around this time. The earliest origins of Hinamatsuri can be traced to an ancient Japanese custom known as  “hina-nagashi “ or doll-floating, where straw hina dolls are set afloat on boats down streams that lead to the ocean, taking the evil spirits and troubles along with them.

Today, Japanese families usually begin displaying dolls as early as February and keep them right after the festival. It is believed that leaving the dolls past the 4th of March will cause daughters to have a very late marriage. Widespread practice of the tradition is decreasing because the dolls cause havoc for fishermen when they catch them in their nets. The Shimogamo Shrine, part of the Kamo Shrine complex in Kyoto, celebrates the Nagashibina by floating the  dolls by the Takano and Kamo rivers to pray for the safety of children. When the spectators are gone, the boats are herded back to the temple and burned.Hina stage

Hina stage

Dolls are placed in a hierarchy with the top platform holding the dairi-bina, or imperial palace dolls. The second platform usually holds three court ladies (san-nin kanjo), the third platform holds five male musicians (gonin bayashi),  the fourth platform holds two ministers (daijin), the fifth holds holds three helpers or samurai as the protectors of the Emperor and Empress, and the sixth and seventh platforms holds a variety of miniature furniture, tools, carriages, etc.

Other Japanese traditional dolls give glimpses of the culture of Japan. The Hinamatsuri festival is a wonderful way to experience the vibrant Japanese traditions.

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Read all about Japanese immersion learning and studying abroad. Check out our eZasshi archives for more articles!