A DAY FIT FOR A PRINCESS: HINA MATSURI

As the store shelves become devoid of Valentine’s Day chocolate in Japan, the displays are quickly replaced by ones of elaborate dolls.

What are these dolls for you may ask?

For the Hina Matsuri– which unlike Japanese Valentine’s Day, is a festival I love!

WHAT IS HINA MATSURI

Each year on March 3rd, Japan celebrates Hina Matsuri (雛祭り), also known as “Girl’s Day”, “Peach Festival” or  “Doll Festival”. This festival celebrates young girls, wishing them health and happiness in their lives ahead.

THE ORIGINS OF HINA MATSURI

The contemporary festival originated from Hina-nagashi (雛流し), where dolls in straw boats were released down the river, supposedly taking along any evil spirits or bad luck with them. While this custom can still be seen today in Kyoto, in most other areas people have stopped this practice because fisherman were catching the dolls in their nets.

HINA MATSURI TODAY

Typically after Setsubun (節分), the day before Japanese spring, families with female children will put a set of dolls on display.

While most families use traditionally crafted dolls, today there are many more modern variations of the hina dolls, such as those portrayed by Disney or Sanrio characters.

These dolls will remain on display for around one month, only to be promptly taken down the day after Hina Matsuri on March 4th, due to the the superstition that if left out for too long the girls will have a hard time finding a husband.

The dolls themselves are usually acquired by the family after the first girl is born; either by inheriting them, as a gift from the grandparents, or by simply purchasing themselves. This custom of putting dolls on display is said to have begun during the Heian period (794-1185), and as such the dolls are all modeled after the hierarchy of the imperial court during that time.

Some Hina-Ningyo displays are very extravagant and elaborate.

Traditionally they are arranged and displayed on a five or seven-tiered stand covered with a red carpet.

Sets can range from a few hundred-thousand yen to up in the millions! Although, due to the cost and limited space, it is now common to see smaller versions on display in homes. In fact, today it is most common to only display the very top-tier.

THE HINA-NINGYO PLACEMENTS

You can probably guess, seeing as this custom comes from Japan, that there are many rules about the proper placement of these dolls. You can’t just arrange the dolls how you’d like, and wouldn’t you believe it’s actually quite complex.

FIRST PLATFORM:

The top-tier holds the two most important dolls. These dolls represent the Emperor, called Odari-sama (御内裏様) who is holding a ritual baton, and the Empress, called Ohime-sama (御雛様) who holds a fan.

Between them you’ll see an arrangement of two vases of peach blossoms called a sanbo kazari (三方飾), and to the outside of the platform there are bonbori (雪洞), paper lanterns decorated with plum blossoms or cherry blossoms which represent the spring season.

In traditional arrangements the female is seated at the right side of the male doll, because historically the Empress was always seated to the right side of the Emperor. However, in the 20th century the Empress began to sit on the Emperor’s left side. You’ll find this change has since been incorporated in the modern Hina-Ningyo placements– except in Kyoto where they still place them in the original, traditional position.

SECOND PLATFORM:

In the second tier are the three court ladies, sannin kanjo (三人官女), and each one is holding some form of sake equipment.

From left to right:

• Kuwae no choushi (加えの銚子): backup sake-bearer (standing)
• Sanpou (三方): sake bearer (seated)
• Nagae no choushi (長柄の銚子): long-handled sake-bearer (standing)

The accessories placed in between the ladies are called takatsuki (高坏), which are round-topped tables used for serving seasonal sweets.

THIRD PLATFORM: