Hinamatsuri

 This week I learned about a Japanese holiday and festival called Hinamatsuri or Doll Festival. This holiday can also be called Momo no Sekku or Peach Festival. The holiday culminates on March 3rd with Girl's Day.

Traditionally a display of Hina dolls is put up in Japanese homes a few days before March 3rd. The standard display consists of 7 levels. On the top level are the Imperial Dolls, descending down the levels are the courtiers, and then others of lessor rank. The dolls are both male and female and the display often includes tiny furniture and food items. A full set of Hina dolls can cost thousands of dollars and sets are often passed from generation to generation.

On Wednesday March 3rd there was a walking tour from Camp Zama to Zama Shrine, about 10 min from the main gate. The plan was to walk to Zama Shrine to see a large display of Hina dolls. We left first thing in the morning to get there early before the very large crowds. 

The Shrine displays hundreds of dolls each year. Our guide was the wife of the Shrine Priest. She told us that with special items like Hina dolls, if you have no one to pass them on to it is unthinkable to just "throw them away". When people have important or special items that they can no longer keep they take them to Shrines where the items are blessed and then burned. But the Hina dolls are so lovely that the Shrine began to ask for permission to keep the dolls to display each year as part of the Hinamatsuri. And that is how the Zama Shrine's collection began over 100 years ago.

Tradition holds that the dolls ward off evil spirits and keep girls safe. HOWEVER, the dolls need to be taken down immediately after the Hinamatsuri (by the morning of March 4th) or it is said to cause your daughter's marriage to be delayed. Our guide told us that now days some people keep the dolls up for a few days on purpose!

Here are few pictures I took of the display going up the steps to Zama Shrine.

Notice the Peach blossoms used all through the display.

The man in the blue jacket (below) is from the Shrine and he is directing traffic as it starts to get busy. 

SIDE NOTE: One thing that is interesting about Japan is that there are people (non-police) directing traffic all over the place! In every big parking lot there is a person directing traffic, always in an official looking uniform. Its actually really helpful. They will step out and hold traffic, allowing you to pull out. 

SIDE NOTE #2- the display of dolls is set up for 5 days. On March 2nd we had a huge storm come through. Very high winds and it rained hard all day long. I asked the tour guide what they had done about the dolls (we were there first thing in the morning the day following the storm). She told us they took them ALL DOWN right before the storm hit and then got up early to set them all up again before everyone came on March 3rd for Girl's Day!

The picture below is of the last step up to the Shrine - the top level! Its traditional for the dolls to always be set up on a red cloth.

                                            

                                                        Looking back down the stairs

            These were displays set up at the Shrine itself. I think they were more expensive dolls. 

Inside one of the buildings they had other displays set up along with some beautiful artwork.

                        

                        I'm not sure what is going on with the Frog Family, but its adorable!

This is called Obi Art - The Obi is a piece of the traditional Japanese clothing that wraps around the middle. This art form takes the Obi and uses it to create a display that does not damage or destroy the Obi but allows it to be seen and enjoyed.

A reporter accompanied our walking tour and then published an article for the US Army Garrison Japan that was posted on their Facebook page. As I was scrolling though Facebook the day after the tour I saw my picture!

            Here is a pic of some of the people from Camp Zama who did the walking tour.