, also called Doll's Day or Girls' Day, is an annual festival in Japan (but not a national holiday), 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 Very Important Person, VIPs and celebrity, celebrities at formal events. History ...

material are used to display a set of representing the

emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...

empress The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...

, 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 Kammu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means in Japanese. It is a ...

Customs

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

Lunisolar calendar A lunisolar calendar is a calendar in many cultures, that combines monthly lunar cycles with the solar year. As with all calendars which divide the year into months, there is an additional requirement that the year have a whole number of mont ...

: 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 went into effect in October 1582 following the papal bull issued by Pope Gregory XIII, which introduced it as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian cale ...

, 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 Agriculture, cultivated in China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and the glossy-skinned, non-fuzzy varieties called necta ...

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 female and male dolls (the and ), which represent a Heian period wedding, but are usually described as the Empress and Emperor 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 . 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 ...

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 and men normally do not participate, as 5May, now

Children's Day Children's Day is a commemorative date celebrated annually in honour 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 (supernatural), magic, perceived supernatural influence, or fear of that which is unknown. It is commonly app ...

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 of age. 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, , or saki, 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 indeed any East Asi ...

. 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. , the city had an estimated population of 183,383 in 81,732 households and a population density of 240 persons per km². The total area of the city is . ...

, still follow the lunisolar calendar instead of doing it on 3March. , traditional decoration for , are lengths of coloured cords (usually in

red Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–750 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a seconda ...

), 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). are not limited to featuring miniature baby-dolls, but also flowers (i.e., camellia flower, etc.), shells, 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 to ...

at the bottom.

Origin

It is said that the first time dolls were shown in the manner they are now as part of the Peach Festival was when the young princess Meisho succeeded to the throne of her abdicating father,

Emperor Go-Mizunoo , posthumously honored as , was the 108th Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional List of Emperors of Japan, order of succession. Go-Mizunoo's reign spanned the years from 1611 through 1629, and he was the first emperor to reign entirely d ...

, in 1629. Because empresses regnant in Japan at the time were not allowed to get married, Meisho's mother,

Tokugawa Masako , also known as Kazu-ko, was empress consort of Japan as the wife of Emperor Go-Mizunoo. Through collaboration with her parents, Oeyo and Shogun Tokugawa Hidetada, she was a prominent and influential figure within the politics and culture of the E ...

, created a doll arrangement showing Meisho blissfully wedded. then officially became the name of the festival in 1687. Doll-makers began making elaborate dolls for the festival (some growing as tall as high before laws were passed restricting their size). Over time, the evolved to include fifteen dolls and accessories. As dolls became more expensive, tiers were added to the so that the expensive ones could be placed out of the reach of young children. During the

Meiji period The was 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 colonizatio ...

as Japan began to modernize and the emperor was restored to power, was deprecated in favor of new holidays that focused on the emperor's supposed bond with the nation. 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 (, ) or as Nikkeijin (, ), comprise the Japanese people, Japanese emigration, emigrants from Japan (and their Kinship, descendants) residing in a country outside Japan. Emigration ...

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

Placement of dolls

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 the List of municipalities in Washington, most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the List of Unit ...

, 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, (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 word means " imperial palace". These are the holding a and 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 particular individuals themselves (with the exception of some dolls from the

Meiji Era The was an Japanese era name, era of History of Japan, 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 feu ...

that actually depict

Emperor Meiji , posthumously honored as , was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the List of emperors of Japan, traditional order of succession, reigning from 1867 until his death in 1912. His reign is associated with the Meiji Restoration of 1868, which ...

and

Empress Shōken , who adopted the imperial given name in 1867 and was posthumously honoured as , was the wife of Emperor Meiji of Japan. She was one of the founders of the Japanese Red Cross Society, whose charity work was known throughout the First Sino-Japa ...

). 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 variet ...

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 na ...

plum blossom ''Prunus mume'', the Chinese plum or Japanese apricot, is a tree species in the family Rosaceae. Along with bamboo, the plant is intimately associated with art, literature, and everyday life in China, from where it was then introduced to Kor ...

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 Honshū. The region includes the prefectures of Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyōgo and Shiga, often also Mie, sometimes Fukui, Tokushima and Tottori. The metropoli ...

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. Commonly, two dolls are standing on both sides of one seated doll, but there are people who use two seated dolls on both sides of one standing doll. The doll on the viewer's left bears a . The one on the viewer's right holds a . The doll in the middle carries different items in Kyoto compared with the rest of Japan. In Kyoto, the middle doll carries a upon which is something auspicious such as ; whereas in the rest of Japan, she carries a upon which a sake cup is rested. Accessories placed between the ladies are , stands with round table-tops for seasonal sweets, excluding .

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 In theatre, blocking is the precise staging of actors to facilitate the performance of a play, ballet, film or opera. Historically, the expectations of staging/blocking have changed substantially over time in Western theater. Prior to the movem ...

" (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: In the Kyōto style, from the viewer's left to right the dolls are: # Crying drinker bearing a , # Angry drinker bearing a , and # Laughing drinker bearing a In the Kantō style used in the rest of Japan, from the viewer's left to right the dolls are: # Angry drinker bearing an at the end of a pole, # Crying drinker bearing a , and # Laughing drinker bearing an

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 Garment collars in hanfu#Youren (right lapel), left side wrapped over ri ...

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. * ( or , a palanquin. * , an ox-drawn carriage favored by Heian nobility. This last is sometimes known as or (). * Less common, , an ox drawing a cart of flowers.

References

External links

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

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