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IHG ANA HOTELS in Japan. Check it out.
Here,we introduce hot sightseeing spots and cultural information from the areas
close to IHG ANA HOTELS in Japan. Check it out! |
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Every year, in mid-February, families
with daughters all over Japan clear space in the home for a set of elaborately-made
dolls. This is to celebrate the Hina Matsuri or "Doll Festival". The hope is that
the young girls of the family will grow up to be just as graceful and blessed
as the beautiful dolls that they put out every year.
The dolls of the Hina Matsuri are not playthings by any means. The dainty little
figurines depict the hierarchy of the Heian Period (794-1192) court life starting
with the Emperor and Empress and going down through the ranks. They are dressed
in the colourful and luxurious costumes of the day with flowing kimono of many
layers and gorgeous colours.
Sitting in front of a gilded screen, just as they did in the real Heian court,
the Emperor and Empress occupy the top tier of a stepped arrangement. On lower
steps will be attendant ministers, court ladies and musicians, all dressed in
full regalia with accessories such as food trays, tea sets and carriages. Some
doll sets are realistic enough to include futon mattresses, bath basins and kitchen
tools in a faithful representation of the wedding trousseau of noble families.
Such realism on a miniature scale calls for a high level of craftsmanship and
many doll sets are exquisite artistic productions.
The set usually consists of around 15 dolls arranged on five to seven steps, with
the whole arrangement being from three to six feet long. Often the dolls will
be a treasured family heirloom handed down from generation to generation. It is
also common for grandparents to buy new sets for their granddaughters and for
family and friends to make gifts of dolls. Doll sets can sometimes be seen in
shop windows around this time of year and museums often display dolls from days
gone by.
Displaying dolls in this way dates back to the reign of the Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu
(1623-51). It is said that ministers presented a set of hina dolls to his eldest
daughter on her seventh birthday and the practice of giving and displaying dolls
spread throughout the court and amongst noble families. The festival itself however
dates back much further.
In Ancient China and then subsequently Heian Japan, festivals to pray for health
and good fortune were held to mark each of the five seasonal periods. One of these
festivals was Momo-no-Sekku, or "Peach Festival". Dolls began to feature with
the practice of making crude paper figurines and setting them adrift on water
along with one's sins and bad luck -- a practice which is still observed in some
regions to this day. Even now, peach blossoms are an important part of the Hina
Matsuri. They have come to represent happiness in marriage, as well as the feminine
traits of gentleness, composure and tranquillity.
In days gone by, young girls would hold parties to entertain their miniature guests,
offering them sweet sake, cakes and candies. But the party would always have to
end as soon as the festival is over, as legend has it that girls who play with
their dolls too long have difficulty finding husbands. |
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