Hinamatsuri - Japan’s Doll Festival and Girls' Day
Out of Japan’s plethora of traditional holidays, there is one that focuses exclusively on the health and happiness of its young girls: hinamatsuri. Every March 3, Japan’s Doll Festival, or Girls’ Day, is celebrated across the nation, bringing with it an array of beautiful decorations, unique traditions, and delicious dishes. But what does hinamatsuri really mean, where did it come from and how to celebrate it? If you’ve ever wondered about this colorful festival, we have everything you need to know in this article.
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What Is the Meaning of Hinamatsuri?
Due to the abundance of decorative dolls on display, “hinamatsuri” simply translates to “Doll’s Festival” in English, but on a closer examination of the “kanji”, or Japanese characters, the definition gains another layer. The character for “hina” (雛) literally means “hatchling”, which makes sense metaphorically and literally, as this festival is deeply connected to the spring season. Hinamatsuri is also known as the Peach Festival, not only because of the blooming of pink peach blossom petal, but also from a historical context that we will cover shortly.
Girls’ Day is celebrated on March 3rd in Japan and is a tradition long awaited for families with daughters. For the girls themselves, it is a fun day filled with activities such as decorating the eponymous hina dolls, watching the peach blossoms flutter to the ground, spending time with relatives, and enjoying the traditional foods prepared in their honor.
Where Did Hinamatsuri Come From?
Hinamatsuri’s origins are said to have come from a combination of practices. The first, from an ancient Chinese custom of transferring bad luck and evil spirits into a paper doll and sending it floating down the river. During the Heian Period, the tradition known as “Joshi no Sekku” came to Japan and was established on March 3rd.
The next is from an activity young girls in the Heian court used to play called “hiina asobi”, which means “doll-play”. Bored daughters of aristocrats would make paper palaces, dolls and other personal items in order to pass the time. Over time, this activity spread beyond the courts introduced the idea of crafting hina dolls into the general public.
It was during the mid-Edo era that these two practices merged into one holiday that simultaneously paired prayers and blessings with decorative dolls: hinamatsuri.
What Do the Hina Dolls Actually Mean?
As we mentioned, originally the dolls themselves were originally nothing more than effigies with which to trap evil spirits in. However, because of the popularity of hiina asobi among young girls, the hina dolls took on a new meaning, as these beautiful figures were now something to be admired and put on display. By merging the spiritual with the superficial, hina dolls now serve as lovingly crafted vessels that contain the hopes for a young girl’s health, happiness and growth.
There are numerous types of “hinakazari” (the set of dolls and accessories) and hina dolls as wells as multiple ways to decorate them. Moreover, knowing where and how to arrange the dolls is equally important.
If you’re going properly display your hina dolls, you can choose from a tiered “hinadan”, or doll stand, preferably covered with a red cloth, or you can opt for a flat display called “shinno kazari”, which only displays the emperor and empress.
Of course, not every hinamatsuri doll sits on a shelf. The Joshi no Sekku tradition of sending dolls down the river is also still practiced today in various places around Japan as “nagashibina” festivals.
What Do Peach Flowers Have to Do with Hinamatsuri?
We touched on the different names for hinamatusuri, with one of them being the Peach Festival. However, we’re not referring to the fruit, but the peach tree. Hinamatusri traditionally occurred at the time when the plum blossoms had finished blooming and peach blossoms would beginning to open up.
Digging deeper, peach blossoms have been known to provide protection against evil spirits and symbolize long life. Hence, it is the perfect flower to ward off danger, as well as encapsulate the delicate feminine beauty and growth of a young girl.
What Special Foods Are Served At Hinamatsuri?
What would a traditional Japanese festival be without several scrumptious dishes? During hinamatsuri, kitchens around the nation are busy preparing a diverse menu with items like the following:
Hishimochi
A gelatinous rice cake cut into three colorful sections, each with its own meaning and all indicative of the season. Pink represents peach blossoms, white is the pure snow, and green symbolizes fresh grass.
Hinaare
While “hishimochi” isn’t exactly the most mobile of dishes, it becomes much more manageable when dried and crushed, resulting in hinaare. The story goes that during the Edo period, girls would head outside to play with their hina dolls, so a tasty portable variation of hishimochi was invented to meet the need.
Hamaguri
It is the wish of every parent for their child to find happiness, and often times that wish is coupled with hope of a happy marriage. “Hamaguri”, or clam soup, is served with two pairs of clam shells, symbolized the union of two parts making a whole. Not only is it romantic, but it’s delicious.
Chirashi Sushi
Literally meaning “scattered sushi”, this bountiful meal is served at hinamatsuri to make sure that a young girl never goes hungry, and includes a variety of auspicious ingredients. Toppings from lotus root and egg to shrimp cover this aesthetically pleasing feast.
Where Is Hinamatsuri Celebrated in Japan? 7 Best Spots to See Hinamatsuri and Hina Dolls
Hinamatsuri’s popularity and appeal has grown beyond the display windows of homes and elaborate hina dolls can now appreciated at exhibitions and events. Here are 7 spots that you shouldn’t miss!
1. Hyakudan Hina Matsuri Exhibition (Tokyo)
Nestled inside of the immaculate Hotel Gajoen Tokyo is the Hyakudan Kaidan (hundred stairs), a Tangible Cultural Property and home to the Hyakudan Hina Matsuri Exhibition. Each of its rooms are filled to the brim with elegantly crafted hina dolls in different arrangements as well as some antique hina dolls from all over Japan.
2. Sawara Hinabune Spring Festival (Chiba Prefecture)
If it’s a more interactive experience you’re seeking, look no further than Sawara Hinabune Spring Festival, held in the former merchant town of Sawara.During the festival, the main event features a procession of boats floating down the Ono River, with its adult passengers dressed in elaborate costumes from the Heian period, and younger females disguised as hina dolls themselves.
With its marvelous Edo-period buildings, Sawara is the perfect place to experience the spirit and beauty of traditional Japan. If you are planning to truly immerse in the town’s old-time charms, NIPPONIA Sawara Merchant Town Hotel is the accommodation for you! This fascinating ensemble of facilities, which includes a total of six hotels, a cafe, and a restaurant scattered across Sawara’s Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings, reuses buildings with historical and cultural value, helping to preserve the traditional panorama of Sawara.
3. Katsuura Big Hinamatsuri (Chiba Prefecture)
About a 3-hour train ride from Tokyo is the coastal city of Katsuura and home to the Katsuura Big Hinamatsuri. True to its name, the event is nothing short of impressive. Towards the end of February, thousands of locally crafted hina dolls are put on display around the city. However, the focal point of the event is at Tomisaki Shrine, where about 1,800 ornate hina dolls line the shrine’s 60 stone steps.
4. Hina no Tsurushi Kazari Festival (Shizuoka Prefecture)
While Shizuoka’s Izu Peninsula is an ideal getaway spot for hot springs, it’s also one of the best spots to experience a different kind of hinamatsuri. Typically, hina dolls are simply displayed on the aforementioned hinadan, but at Inatori Onsen in Higashi-Izu, the dolls are arranged together with "tsurushi", hanging ornaments from the hinamatsuri, during the Hina no Tsurushi Kazari Matsuri, or Hanging Hina Doll Festival. Here, ornaments of all shapes and sizes are string together, creating a beautiful curtain of figures for all to see.
During the event, don’t forget to also visit Susanoo Shrine. With its extraordinary 118-tier display of hina dolls and hanging ornaments, arranged along the 118 stone steps leading to the shrine, it is considered one of the best places in Japan to celebrate hinamatsuri.
To add to the visit, stay at the traditional Japanese-style ryokan Senoumi, which is a mere walk to Inatori Onsen and its lovely hinamatsuri festival.
5. Kasuisai Hinamatsuri (Shizuoka Prefecture)
Just west of the Izu Peninsula lies the city of Fukuroi, where the 33-hectare grounds of Akihasohonden Kasuisai Temple provide a widespread area for the most extravagant hinamatsuri. From January through March, about 1,200 hina dolls, not only sit on the stairs leading up to the temple, but also completely cover the 2-storied cypress reception hall of the temple, making it one of the largest displays of hina dolls in the country.
6. Konosu Bikkuri Hinamatsuri (Saitama)
In Japanese, “bikkuri” means surprise, and from mid-February to mid-March, visitors can take part in the aptly-titled Konosu Bikkuri Hinamatsuri in Konosu, Saitama. There are number of spots around the city to view hina dolls, but the most spectacular is the 7-meter pyramid at Elumi Konosu Shopping Mall, featuring around 1,500 beautiful dolls positioned for passersby to see.
As Konosu is well-known for its doll-making, it’s no surprise that the “Surprise Hinamatsuri” is one of the best spots to spend Girls’ Day in Japan.
7. Shimogamo Shrine Nagashibina (Kyoto)
The centuries-old custom of transferring evil spirits to a paper doll and sent down the river is alive and well today, at one of the oldest shrines in Japan. Kyoto’s Shimogamo Shrine Nagashibina is an annual event held on March 3rd, where a newlywed couple dressed in old court-style regalia, much like hina dolls themselves, place “hitogata” paper dolls in woven reed baskets and send them down the Mitarai River, the sacred stream flowing through the Shimogamo grounds.
After the official ceremony finishes, the general public is allowed to participate and ship their own baskets down the river for a fee.
Enjoy Hinamatsuri in Japan
As we’ve shown, there are many wonderful customs connected to the hinamatsuri festival such as food, events and, of course, the display of the hina dolls. If you’re looking for a festive way to ring in the spring season and honor the daughters of Japan, trust this comprehensive guide about hinamatsuri in Japan!
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The information in this article is accurate at the time of publication.
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