hinamatsuri ひな祭り (gujohachiman)

Posted by timothy sullivan (Tokyo, Japan) on 3 March 2009 in Lifestyle & Culture.

Today, March 3, is Hinamatsuri (Doll's Festival/Girls' Day) in Japan--when families pray for their daughters' positive growth and lifelong happiness. For this day, dolls such as these adorn the living rooms of families with young girls.

Here in Japan, dolls are an integral part of the society's tradition; as with certain Western traditions (cf. Halloween), dolls are said to be able to capture and hold within them bad or evil spirits. Several Japanese movies have been based on this traditional property of dolls; the theme runs within quite a few anime and manga series as well.

Hinamatsuri as a tradition began some 700-800 years ago during the Heian Period. At that time, with the belief that dolls could capture and confine evil spirits, straw dolls would adorn the shelves of homes, ostensibly soaking up any negative energy; these would be periodically collected, put on rafts, and sent down a river out to sea--taking away the evil with them.

Nowadays, Hina dolls are placed on a seven-tiered platform that forms a kind of royal court; each platform level represents the various actors at play. At the top is the Emperor and Empress; then the court ladies, musicians, ministers, samurai, and a variety of symbolic furniture.

(One of the interesting things is that, while the rather pricey hina doll sets are meant more for women, in recent years there have been sets geared for the sons: I saw a Star Wars version, with Darth Vader and crew, on sale at a place in Asakusabashi. Only in Japan...)

- - - - -

Google Maps >>

vfxy Photoblogs | Listed on Photoblogs.org