Happy Hinamatsuri

The children’s song best known for its opening line, “Akari o tsukemasho bonbori ni,” which represents the Hinamatsuri (Doll Festival), has the official title “Ureshii Hinamatsuri.” With lyrics by Hachiro Sato and music by Koyo Kawamura, it was released in 1936. It’s said that the expression “O-Dairi-sama to O-Hina-sama” that appears in the lyrics also became widely established through this song. Please try humming it while recalling the lyrics.

caretaker

The three court ladies are women who attend to the personal needs of the Emperor and Empress dolls, mainly serving as attendants who pour sake. From the viewer’s right, they hold a long-handled sake server (naganaga no chōshi), in the center a stand tray (sanpō) or a sake cup (sakazuki), and on the left an additional sake server (kuwae no chōshi).

angry

The correct answer is “angry.” The three-person group displayed on the fifth tier of Hina dolls, holding items like brooms and dustpans, are called “shichō” (attendants). They are also known as the “three jōgo,” each showing a different expression: laughing, crying, and anger. This represents the full range of human emotions—joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure—and conveys the wish for children to grow up emotionally rich no matter the circumstances.

bridal trousseau

The pieces of furniture displayed on the sixth and seventh tiers of the hina platform—such as chests, dressing tables, long storage chests, and sewing boxes—represent the “bridal trousseau” that a princess would take with her when she marries. They embody parents’ wishes that their daughters will one day have a happy marriage and live in comfort and prosperity without want. Modeled after the wedding customs of feudal lords in the past, these items are crafted with exceptional precision.

Peach blossom petals

The correct answer is peach petals. Hinamatsuri is also known as the “Peach Festival,” and in the past, there was a custom of celebrating by drinking tōkashu, sake with peach petals floating in it. In China since ancient times, the peach tree has been regarded as a sacred tree that wards off evil and grants immortality. From this comes the wish that one may live a healthy, long life “to a hundred years” (momotose). Nowadays, it’s more common to drink shirozake or amazake, but it’s interesting to know about this elegant custom from the past.

flute

The Goninbayashi are five young boys who perform Noh music. Their order and what they hold are fixed: from the viewer’s right, a fan, a flute, a small hand drum (kotsuzumi), a large hand drum (otsuzumi), and a drum (taiko). A notable feature is that the instruments are arranged so the sound grows progressively louder from right to left. They sit on the third tier of the Hina doll display and play the role of enlivening a wedding banquet.

Standing

Today, when people think of Hina dolls, it’s common for both the male and female dolls to be seated. However, the older form considered the origin of Hina dolls featured standing figures known as “tachi-bina.” This is because they evolved from “nagashi-bina,” paper dolls used in the Heian period and later to which people would transfer misfortune by rubbing them over the body and then float them down a river. From these simple paper figures, the dolls developed into standing figures dressed in kimono, and from the Edo period onward, the luxurious seated Hina dolls we know today became mainstream. Even now, there are regions that continue to display the traditional standing Hina dolls.