, also called Doll's Day or Girls' Day, is a religious (

Shinto Shinto () is a religion from Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners ''Shint ...

) holiday in Japan, celebrated on 3March of each year. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric (2005)
"Hina Matsuri"
in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 313. Platforms covered with a

red carpet A red carpet is traditionally used to mark the route taken by heads of state on ceremonial and formal occasions, and has in recent decades been extended to use by VIPs and celebrities at formal events. History The earliest known reference ...

–material are used to display a set of representing the

Emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother ( ...

Empress An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother (empr ...

, attendants, and musicians in traditional court dress of the

Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kanmu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means "peace" in Japan ...

Customs

is one of the that are held on auspicious dates of the

Chinese calendar The traditional Chinese calendar (also known as the Agricultural Calendar ��曆; 农历; ''Nónglì''; 'farming calendar' Former Calendar ��曆; 旧历; ''Jiùlì'' Traditional Calendar ��曆; 老历; ''Lǎolì'', is a lunisolar calendar ...

: the first day of the first month, the third day of the third month, and so on. After the adoption of the

Gregorian calendar The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It was introduced in October 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian calendar. The principal change was to space leap years d ...

, these were fixed on 1January, 3March, 5May, 7July, and 9September. The festival was traditionally known as the , as

peach The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in Zhejiang province of Eastern China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and others (the glossy-skinned, n ...

trees typically began to flower around this time. Although this is no longer true since the shift to Gregorian dates, the name remains and peaches are still symbolic of the festival. The primary aspect of is the display of seated male and female dolls (the and ), which represent a Heian period wedding, but are usually described as the Emperor and Empress of Japan. The dolls are usually seated on red cloth, and may be as simple as pictures or folded paper dolls, or as intricate as carved three-dimensional dolls. More elaborate displays will include a multi-tiered of dolls that represent ladies of the court, musicians, and other attendants, with all sorts of accoutrements. The entire set of dolls and accessories is called the . The number of tiers and dolls a family may have depends on their budget. Families normally ensure that girls have a set of the two main dolls before their first Hinamatsuri. The dolls are usually fairly expensive ($1,500 to $2,500 for a five-tier set, depending on quality) and may be handed down from older generations as

heirloom In popular usage, an heirloom is something that has been passed down for generations through family members. Examples are a Family Bible, antiques, weapons or jewellery. The term originated with the historical principle of an heirloom in En ...

s. The spends most of the year in storage, and girls and their mothers begin setting up the display a few days before 3March (boys normally do not participate, as 5May, now

Children's Day Children's Day is a commemorative date celebrated annually in honor of children, whose date of observance varies by country. In 1925, International Children's Day was first proclaimed in Geneva during the World Conference on Child Welfare. Sin ...

, was historically called "Boys' Day"). Traditionally, the dolls were supposed to be put away by the day after , the

superstition A superstition is any belief or practice considered by non-practitioners to be irrational or supernatural, attributed to fate or magic, perceived supernatural influence, or fear of that which is unknown. It is commonly applied to beliefs ...

being that leaving the dolls any longer will result in a late marriage for the daughter, but some families may leave them up for the entire month of March. Practically speaking, the encouragement to put everything away quickly is to avoid the rainy season and humidity that typically follows . Historically, the dolls were used as toys, but in modern times they are intended for display only. The display of dolls is usually discontinued when the girls reach ten years old. During and the preceding days, girls hold parties with their friends. Typical foods include , , , , and . The customary drink is , also called , a non-alcoholic

sake Sake, also spelled saké ( ; also referred to as Japanese rice wine), is an alcoholic beverage of Japanese origin made by fermenting rice that has been polished to remove the bran. Despite the name ''Japanese rice wine'', sake, and in ...

. ceremonies are held around the country, where participants make dolls out of paper or straw and send them on a boat down a river, carrying one's impurities and sin with them. Some locations, such as at the Nagashibina Doll Museum in

Tottori City is the capital and the largest city of Tottori Prefecture in the Chūgoku region of Japan. Within Japan the city is best known for its sand dunes which are a popular tourist attraction, drawing visitors from outside the prefecture. The san ...

, still follow the lunisolar calendar instead of doing it on 3March. , traditional decoration for ''Hinamatsuri'', are lengths of coloured cords (usually in red), usually featuring decorations of miniature baby-dolls, which were originally made from leftover kimono silk (so the idea of repurposing fabric scraps is central to this craft; it is a great activity for using up leftover materials). ''Tsurushi-Bina'' are not limited to featuring miniature baby-dolls, but also flowers (i.e., camellia flower, etc.), shells, '' Temari'' balls, colourful triangles to represent mountains (such as Mount Fuji, etc.), etc., and with

tassels A tassel is a finishing feature in fabric and clothing decoration. It is a universal ornament that is seen in varying versions in many cultures around the globe. History and use In the Hebrew Bible, the Lord spoke to Moses instructing him t ...

at the bottom. An old tradition now forgotten is that during the '' Chōyō no Sekku'' the dolls are brought out again to air, making it a ''Hinamatsuri'' for adults.

Placement

The actual placement order of the dolls from left to right varies according to family tradition and location, but the order of dolls per level is the same. The layer of covering is called or simply , a red carpet with rainbow stripes at the bottom. The description that follows is for a complete set. File:Me-bina-ETHAS 020104-P8190705-gradient.jpg, 18th-century , Empress doll, on display at

Musée d'ethnographie de Genève The ' ("Geneva Ethnography Museum") is one of the most important ethnographic museums in Switzerland. History The MEG, or Geneva Museum of Ethnography, was founded on 25 September 1901, on the initiative of Professor Eugène Pittard (1867-1962), ...

File:O-bina-ETHAS 020105-P8190707-gradient.jpg, 18th century , Emperor doll, on display at

File:Hinamatsuri store display.jpg, store display in

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region ...

featuring all 7 tiers. File:HinaDolls-Emperor-Empress-topplatform2011.jpg, An Emperor doll with an Empress doll, in front of a gold screen. The optional lampstands are also partially visible. File:Hinamatsuridolls2010.ogv, thumbtime=7, (video) A five platform doll set. File:Kanzo-Yashiki_Tsurushibina.A.JPG, is a variation of the traditional dolls (Kanzo-Yashiki, Kōshū, Yamanashi Prefecture).

First, top platform

The top tier holds two dolls, known as . The words ''dairi'' means " imperial palace". These are the ''obina'' holding a and ''mebina'' holding a fan. The pair are also known as and (lord and princess) or and (honored palace official and honored doll). Although they are sometimes referred to as the Emperor and Empress, they only represent the positions and not the actual individuals themselves (with the exception of some dolls from the Meiji period that actually depict

Emperor Meiji , also called or , was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession. Reigning from 13 February 1867 to his death, he was the first monarch of the Empire of Japan and presided over the Meiji era. He was the figur ...

and

Empress Shōken , born , was the wife and adviser of Emperor Meiji of Japan. She is also known under the technically more correct name . She was one of the founders of the Japanese Red Cross Society, whose charity work was known throughout the First Sino-Japanese ...

). The two are usually placed in front of a gold

folding screen A folding screen, also known as pingfeng (), is a type of free-standing furniture consisting of several frames or panels, which are often connected by hinges or by other means. They have practical and decorative uses, and can be made in a variety ...

and placed beside green Japanese garden trees. Optional are the two lampstands, called , and the paper or silk lanterns that are known as , which are usually decorated with

cherry A cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus ''Prunus'', and is a fleshy drupe (stone fruit). Commercial cherries are obtained from cultivars of several species, such as the sweet ''Prunus avium'' and the sour '' Prunus cerasus''. The n ...

plum blossom ''Prunus mume'' is an East Asian and Southeast Asian tree species classified in the ''Armeniaca'' section of the genus ''Prunus'' subgenus ''Prunus''. Its common names include Chinese plum, Japanese plum, and Japanese apricot. The flower, long ...

patterns. Complete sets would include accessories placed between the two figures, known as , composing of two vases of artificial . Generally speaking, the

Kansai The or the , lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshu, Honshū. The region includes the Prefectures of Japan, prefectures of Nara Prefecture, Nara, Wakayama Prefecture, Wakayama, Kyoto Prefecture, Kyoto, Osaka Prefectur ...

style arrangement has the male on the right, while Kantō style arrangements have him on the left (from the viewer's perspective).

Second platform

The second tier holds three court ladies who serve sake to the male and female dolls. Two of them are standing with serving utensils, one with a and the other with a . The , placed in the middle, holds a small table and maybe standing or sitting/

kneeling Kneeling is a basic human position where one or both knees touch the ground. Kneeling is defined as “to position the body so that one or both knees rest on the floor,” according to Merriam-Webster. Kneeling when only composed of one knee, and ...

. Accessories placed between the ladies are , stands with round table-tops for seasonal sweets, excluding ''hishi mochi''.

Third platform

The third tier holds five male musicians . Each holds a musical instrument except the singer, who holds a fan: # , seated, # , standing, # , standing, # , or , seated, # , holding a , standing. There are ancient sets with seven or ten musicians and at least one with female musicians.

Fourth platform

Two may be displayed on the fourth tier. These may be the emperor's bodyguards or administrators in Kyoto: the and the . Both are sometimes equipped with bows and arrows. When representing the ministers, the Minister of the Right is depicted as a young person, while the Minister of the Left is older because that position was the more senior of the two. Also, because the dolls are placed in positions relative to each other, the Minister of the Right will be on " stage right" (the viewer's left) and the Minister of the Left will be on the other side. Between the two figures are covered , also referred to as , as well as bearing diamond-shaped ''hishi mochi''. Just below the ministers: on the rightmost, a , and on the leftmost, a .

Fifth platform

The fifth tier, between the plants, holds three or of the Emperor and Empress: # Crying drinker , # Angry drinker , and # Laughing drinker

Other platforms

On the sixth and seventh tiers, various miniature furniture, tools, carriages, etc., are displayed.

Sixth platform

These are items used within the palatial residence. * : chest of (usually five) drawers, sometimes with swinging outer covering doors. * : long chest for

kimono The is a traditional Japanese garment and the national dress of Japan. The kimono is a wrapped-front garment with square sleeves and a rectangular body, and is worn left side wrapped over right, unless the wearer is deceased. The kimono ...

storage. * : smaller clothing storage box, placed on top of nagamochi. * : literally ''mirror stand'', a smaller chest of drawers with a mirror on top. * : sewing kit box. * two : braziers. * : a set of or , utensils for the tea ceremony.

Seventh, bottom platform

These are items used when away from the palatial residence. * , a set of nested lacquered food boxes with either a cord tied vertically around the boxes or a stiff handle that locks them together. * , a palanquin. * , an ox-drawn carriage favored by Heian nobility. This last is sometimes known as . * Less common, , an ox drawing a cart of flowers.

Origin

The earliest record of displaying the dolls as part of the Peach Festival comes from 1625, for

Emperor Go-Mizunoo was the 108th Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Go-Mizunoo's reign spanned the years from 1611 through 1629, and was the first emperor to reign entirely during the Edo period. This 17th-century sovereign was n ...

's daughter Oki-ko. Imperial court ladies set up equipment for her to engage in . After Oki-ko succeeded her father as the

Empress Meishō was the 109th monarch of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'')明正天皇 (108)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession.Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan'', p. 115. Her reign lasted from 1629 ...

, Hinamatsuri legally became the holiday's name in 1687. Doll-makers began making elaborate dolls for the festival (some growing as tall as 3 feet (1 meter) high before laws were passed restricting their size). Over time, the ''hinazakari'' evolved to include fifteen dolls and accessories. As dolls became more expensive, tiers were added to the ''hinadan'' so that the expensive ones could be placed out of the reach of young children. During the

Meiji period The is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization ...

as Japan began to modernize and the emperor was restored to power, Hinamatsuri was deprecated in favor of new holidays that focused on the emperor's supposed to bond with the nation, but it was revived. By focusing on marriage and families, it represented Japanese hopes and values. The dolls were said to represent the emperor and empress; they also fostered respect for the throne. The holiday then spread to other countries via the

Japanese diaspora The Japanese diaspora and its individual members, known as Nikkei (日系) or as Nikkeijin (日系人), comprise the Japanese emigrants from Japan (and their descendants) residing in a country outside Japan. Emigration from Japan was recorded ...

, although it remains confined to Japanese immigrant communities and descendants.

References

External links

Hinamatsuri in Sado, Niigata, Japan (Doll's Festival)

Video on Hinamatsuri (Hinamatsuri Girls' Day , Doll's Festival)
{{authority control Festivals in Japan Japanese dolls March observances Shinto festivals Articles containing video clips