Today is HINAMATSURI
It has been a while.
It is already March.
In Japan, it is the season of peach blossoms.
Speaking of peach blossoms, March 3 is Momo no Sekku (Peach Festival).
It is surprisingly difficult to convey the meaning of "Peach Festival," but some people may know it as "Doll's Festival.
In ancient China, there was a custom of purifying oneself in a river on the first day of the snake in March, and this custom is said to have been introduced to Japan, where it was combined with the custom of transferring impurities and disasters to dolls made of grass and straw and then throwing them into rivers or the sea. The aristocrats also made "Tenko to Koroko" dolls to protect infants from misfortune, which seems to have been the origin of the later "Tachi-hina" dolls. On the other hand, among the upper class children in the Heian period, there was a girls' game called Hiina-play, in which girls dressed dolls and decorated them with various furnishings, which is thought to have combined to form the Hinamatsuri. Tenko" is a kind of doll used for purification, and "crawling" was used in ordinary houses as a doll to protect infants.
So, roughly interpreted, it seems that the ritual of wishing for the healthy growth of children and playing with dolls came together to form the Hinamatsuri, an annual Sekku (Doll Festival) event to pray for the healthy growth of young girls.
The Hinamatsuri is an event to decorate hina dolls with cherry blossoms, tachibana, peach blossoms, and other trees, offer hina arare and hishimochi, and enjoy eating and drinking such as shirozake and chirashi-sushi. It was during the Edo period (1603-1867) that Hinamatsuri became firmly established as a day for girls. One of the meanings of displaying hina dolls is to wish for the girl born in the family to meet a good man or marry a good woman. It is believed that these prayers came to be expressed because hina dolls were designed with the wedding of the Emperor and Empress as their motif.
Another meaning of displaying hina dolls is to protect the girls born in the family. As in the Nagashibina culture, people in Japan have long used clay or paper in the shape of a human being as a substitute for the dolls. This custom was probably carried over to hina dolls. In the old days, it was very difficult for children to grow up safely, which is unthinkable in today's world of improved sanitation and medical care. That is why there are many Japanese traditional events, not limited to Hinamatsuri, that are meant to drive away evil spirits.
Each doll and tool has its own role and meaning. The explanation is long, but please bear with me.
Top Floor: Shinno
At the top of the Hina-dan are the Otoko-bina and Onna-bina, who are the Emperor (male) and Empress (female) and the two main actors of the wedding ......, i.e., the bride and groom.
The male hina holds a scepter in his right hand, while the female hina elegantly holds a fan called a hi-ohgi with both hands. Both are standard items for important ceremonies.
Second tier: Sannin Kanjo
The second tier of the Hina-dan consists of three women called San-nin Kanjo. These women are the daily caretakers who support Her Majesty the Empress, and their role is no different in this wedding-themed setting. The three courtesans carry the following tools for pouring sake, and are positioned closest to the two main performers.
Nagae: A tool used to pour sake into a sake cup.
Sanpo: A stand on which the sake cup is placed. Some hina dolls have a stand called a shimadai instead.
HISAGE...A vessel used to hold sake. It is shaped like a pot.
If you look closely, you will see that each of the three official dolls has a different expression, and the woman in the middle wears black teeth to indicate that she is married. It would be fun to talk with your child about what kind of personality he or she has, while carefully checking each of them.
3rd step: Goninbayashi
The third tier of the hina-dan is the Goninbayashi, or "five musicians" who perform "Nohgaku" to enliven the wedding ceremony. In modern times, they are like guests who perform entertainment, such as singing songs or doing comedy.
Of the five musicians, one is in charge of singing, called utai (chanting), and the other four play instruments. The other four play musical instruments. The chorus leader holds a fan, while the other members hold drums, an otsuzumi (large hand drum), a kotsuzumi (small hand drum), and a flute.
It may be difficult for children to imagine what Nohgaku is just by hearing the word "Nohgaku. We recommend that you search for a video of a performance of the five musicians and watch it with your child.
4th step: Zuishin
The fourth tier of the Hina-dan features two Zuishin, who are bodyguards who attend to and protect His Majesty the Emperor and Empress on a daily basis. Therefore, both dolls carry swords, bows, and arrows, and you can imagine that they will protect the main actors and the wedding itself in any way they can, no matter what.
The Zuijin dolls have the same possessions, but they differ in appearance: one is an old man with a magnificent beard and the other is a young man with shiny black hair.
5th step: Jicho
The three men on the fifth step of the Hina-dan are called jicho, which means common people in charge of chores at court, and are sometimes referred to as "three jicho" because they have different expressions such as crying, laughing, and angry faces.
They are also in charge of chores in the wedding scene, so their belongings are either cleaning tools such as brooms, dustpans, and rakes, or going-out tools such as a platform umbrella, shoe stand, and standing umbrella.
6th step: Bride's Entry Tools
The 6th and subsequent levels of the Hina-dan are decorated with tools, but the 6th level is set with Yomeiri-dogu (bride's entrance tool). The items for Yomeiri-Dogu vary from doll to doll, but the typical items are as follows.
Tansu (chest of drawers): Furniture for storing clothes.
Nagamochi: Furniture for storing clothes and bedding.
Mirror and sewing box (needles)...A name that combines a dressing table (mirror) and a sewing box (needles).
Hibachi (brazier)...a stove in the modern sense of the word.
A shelf on which utensils for making tea are placed.
Jyu-bako (stacked boxes): Containers used in modern times to hold osechi (New Year's dishes).
Seventh step: portable shrine implements
The seventh tier of the Hina-dan is for carrying the Empress in the wedding procession.
Okago (palanquin): The Empress rides in the palanquin and is carried by a person carrying a pole through the palanquin.
Gyuruma-gyu: The Empress rides in a room-like seat called a yakata, and is pulled by an ox.
The sixth and seventh steps are simply the steps for setting up the utensils, and there are no rules regarding the items to be placed. In some cases, bridegroom's entrance tools and portable shrine entrance tools are mixed and matched to ensure a good balance.
Meaning of other tools
In addition to the 6th and 7th tiers, the following tools and plants are also placed on Hina Dolls.
Scarlet carpet...A felt-like red cloth. It has been used for traditional events since ancient times, and is placed under the dolls as well.
Cherry blossoms are used as ornaments to ward off evil spirits.
Tachibana flowers: Decorations to wish for longevity as they bloom in winter.
Other decorations such as Bonbori and Hishimochi (rice cakes) are also often seen.
Recently, there are more and more simple Hina dolls with only two dolls, the male and female dolls, due to space limitations for displaying them.
Food also has the following meanings.
Hishimochi (rice cakes) and hina arare (rice crackers)...peach color is to ward off evil, green color is for health and longevity, and white color is for purity and purity.
Shirozake (white sake): to ward off evil and longevity.
You can tell from the meanings of the hina dolls and food that each of them is meant to pray for your child's good health.
This may seem like the longest blog ever, but by writing about Japanese events like this, I am reminded once again that there are many events in Japan that wish for the healthy growth of children. What kind of events in your area are filled with prayers for the healthy growth of children? I would be happy to hear about them next time.
See you in the next blog.