Hinamatsuri encyclopedia topics

Placement

The Kantō region and Kansai region have different placement orders of the dolls from right to left, but the order of dolls per level are the same.

The term for the platform in Japanese is . The layer of covering is called or simply , a red carpet with rainbow-striped at the bottom.

First platform

The top tier holds two dolls, known as representing the and (dairi means "Imperial Palace", and hina means "girl" or "princess").

The dolls are usually placed in front of a gold folding screen .

Optional are the two lampstands are called , and the paper or silk lanterns are known as , usually decorated with cherry or plum blossom patterns.

Complete sets would include accessories placed between the two figures, known as , composing of two vases .

The traditional arrangement had the male on the right, while modern arrangements had him on the left (from the viewer's perspective).

Second platform

The second tier holds three court ladies . Each holds a sake equipment. From the viewer's perspective, the standing lady on the right is the long-handled sake-bearer , the standing lady on the left is the backup sake-bearer , and the only lady in the middle is the seated sake bearer .

Accessories placed between the ladies are , stands with round table-tops for seasonal sweets, excluding hishimochi.

Third platform

The third tier holds five male musicians . Each holds a musical instrument except the singer, who holds a fan.

Left to right, from viewer's perspective, they are the:

Small drum , seated,
Large drum , standing,
Hand drum , standing,
Flute , or , seated,
Singer , holding a folding fan , seated.

Fourth platform

Two ministers (daijin) may be displayed on the fourth tier: the and the . The Minister of the Right is depicted as a young person, while the Minister of the Left is much older. Also, because the dolls are placed in positions relative to each other, the Minister of the Right will be on the viewer's left and the Minister of the Left will be on the viewer's right. Both are sometimes equipped with bows and arrows.

Between the two figures are covered bowl tables , also referred to as , as well as diamond-shaped stands bearing diamond-shaped ricecakes . Hishidai with feline-shaped legs are known as .

Just below the ministers: on the rightmost, a mandarin orange tree , and on the leftmost, a cherry tree .

Fifth platform

The fifth tier, between the plants, holds three helpers or samurai as the protectors of the emperor and empress. From left to right (viewer's perspective):

Maudlin drinker ,
Cantankerous drinker , and
Merry drinker

Other platforms

On the sixth and seventh tiers, a variety of miniature furniture, tools, carriages, etc. are displayed.

Platform Six

These are items used within the palatial residence.

: chest of (usually 5) drawers, sometimes with swinging outer covering doors.
: long chest for kimono storage.
: smaller clothing storage box, placed on top of nagamochi.
: lit., mirror stand, a smaller chest of drawer with a mirror on top.
: sewing kit box.
2 : braziers.
: a set of or , utensils for the tea ceremony.

Platform Seven

These are items used when away from the palatial residence.

, a set of nested lacquered food boxes with either a cord tied vertically around the boxes or a stiff handle that locks them together.
, a palanquin.
, an ox-drawn carriage favored by Heian nobility. This last is sometimes known as ).
Less common, , an ox drawing a cart of flowers.

Origin and customs

The custom of displaying dolls began during the Heian period. Formerly, people believed the dolls possessed the power to contain bad spirits. Hinamatsuri traces its origins to an ancient Japanese custom called , in which straw hina dolls are set afloat on a boat and sent down a river to the sea, supposedly taking troubles or bad spirits with them. The Shimogamo Shrine (part of the Kamo Shrine complex) in Kyoto) celebrates the Nagashibina by floating these dolls between the Takano and Kamo Rivers to pray for the safety of children. Also people have stopped doing this now because of fishermen catching the dolls in their nets. They now send them out in to the sea, and when the spectators are gone they take the boats out of the water and bring them back to the temple and burn them.

The customary drink for the festival is amazake, a sweet, non-alcoholic version of sake made from fermented rice; the customary food is colored arare, bite-sized crackers flavored with soy sauce. A soy sauce-based soup is also served containing clams still in the shell. Clam shells in the food are deemed the symbol of a united and peaceful couple, because a pair of clam shells can closely fit to each other, as no other shells but the original pair can.

In popular culture

References to the holiday and its activities are often referred to in film and music. Dating as far back as 1920's, the Hinamatsuri has been the subject of Japanese film, such as Hinamatsuri no yoru. More recently, the J-pop group the Mini Moni released a song Minimoni Hinamatsuri! which sings of the joy of the day.