In Japan, “Hinamatsuri” is an annual event that carries the wish for the healthy growth and future happiness of young girls. On this day, families decorate their homes with Hina dolls, adorned with decorations like cherry blossoms and peach flowers, and offer traditional treats such as hina-arare (colored rice cakes) and hishi-mochi (diamond-shaped rice cakes), along with enjoying delicacies like white sake and chirashi sushi. While the central figure of Hinamatsuri is undoubtedly the girl child, the indispensable element is the Hina dolls.
In ancient times, when infant mortality rates were high and a child’s fate uncertain, a tradition emerged to place substitute dolls by a child’s bedside to ward off misfortune. The prototype of the Hina dolls, known as “Tachibina” (standing dolls), is said to be a three-dimensional representation of the paper dolls purified and floated down the river to ward off evil during the festival. Over time, as society evolved, Hina dolls transformed from being floated down rivers to being displayed to ward off misfortune.
Hinamatsuri decorations symbolize not only parents’ prayers for their children’s healthy growth and happiness but also the belief that the Hina dolls, serving as substitutes for their daughters, can help ward off misfortune. While modern housing constraints have led to the prevalence of compact displays featuring only male and female dolls in glass cases, traditional displays were elaborate, featuring various tools on a seven-tiered platform. The significance of the seven-tiered display stems from the auspiciousness of the number “seven” in Japanese culture.
The items displayed alongside the Hina dolls are bridal essentials from the Heian period. These include a chest of drawers (tansu), a scissors box (hasamibako), a traveling trunk (nagamochi/storage case), a dressing table (kyodai), a sewing box (haribako), a brazier (hibachi), tea utensils (chadogu), a palanquin (okago), stacked food boxes (juubako), a carriage (goshoguruma), along with three female attendants, a musical ensemble of five, and a peach tree blooming in March, all arranged splendidly.
Displayed alongside the Hina dolls are items representing bride’s essentials from the Heian period, symbolizing the hope that the girl will not struggle after marriage and serving as a testament to the care she received while growing up.
I have fond memories of decorating Hina dolls with my daughters while listening to traditional Hinamatsuri music, wearing white gloves to handle the dolls delicately. It’s a cherished family tradition, akin to decorating a Christmas tree while listening to Christmas songs.
Enjoy the Girls’ Festival, also known as Peach Festival, with pink-themed Neko Ramen!
Midori/Neko Ramen
This article was contributed to the March 2025 issue of Cowichan Valley Voice.
