Doll's Day: A Brief History of Japan's Hinamatsuri

Hina dolls for the Hinamatsuri
Hina dolls for the Hinamatsuri | © TANAKA Juuyoh / Flickr
Alicia Joy

Tokyo Writer

Every year on March 3rd, Japan celebrates the Hinamatsuri, or Doll Festival, by arranging hina ningyo (dolls) on a platform and praying for the health and happiness of young girls. The history of this tradition goes back over 1000 years, to the Heian Period.

During the Heian Period, an annual festival was held during which people prayed to the gods for good health and good fortune. As part of the festivities, straw dolls sitting in paper boats were floated away on rivers. It was thought that the dolls would carry any misfortune with them out to sea, acting as substitutes for their human makers. This tradition lives on in the Hinamatsuri, although today only a few shrines still hold a Doll Floating Festival and most people celebrate with ornamental hina dolls at home.

An elaborate hina doll display

On the Hinamatsuri, dolls representing the Heian Imperial Court are arranged on a carpeted platform in a precise order. The Emperor and Empress sit at the top, with female attendants, musicians, advisors and samurai on the lower tiers. Spaces are left on the platform (hinadan) for traditional offerings like colorful arare (rice crackers), sake and hishi mochi. Hishi mochi are multilayered glutinous rice cakes, often sliced into diamond shapes before serving. Other foods people like to enjoy on this day are clams, which represent chastity, and chirashizushi (scattered sushi).

Setting out the hina dolls is good luck, but only families with young daughters need to observe this day. The hinadan and dolls are left up for around one month, starting in early February. Leaving them up past March 4th, the day after the festival, could hurt the daughter’s marriage prospects.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.

Culture Trip Spring Sale

Save up to $1,100 on our unique small-group trips! Limited spots.

X
close-ad
Edit article