It’s Hinamatsuri! Otherwise known as the Japanese Doll Festival or Girls’ Day, this March 3 festivity involves displaying dolls arrayed in traditional costume typical of the Heian Period. I was reminded of the Hinamatsuri because of Google’s doodle for the day.

Cute right?

As we weren’t able to go around sightseeing this time, i dug up old photos to show hubby, and share here; photos of my trip with friends in Katsuura City, Chiba back in 2008.

The first thing that greeted us from the station was this.

Even hubby was truly impressed and estimated this must have cost millions. And yep, it was just on display with nary a guard around to look after the display.

The community also displayed the dolls on one of the stairs leading to a temple in the area.

Even a doll collector like me see these numbers of dolls gathered together as quite scary. But look up close and you’d just be amazed at the detail.

An Emperor and his Empress.

Can you count the layers of the doll’s kimono?

A court official.

Court musicians.

Usually, the hina-ningyos of the emperor, empress and courtiers are arrayed like this.

But in Katsuura, we found some displays with elaborate houses.

And some other very interesting displays as well. In bamboos! but oopps, one bamboo window is empty! Could someone have…? (gasp!)

Aren’t they cute?

This manner of displaying the dolls is probably the least of my favorites.

Funny, there’s Anpanman series as well!

This dolls are usually on display from around February up to March 4. Read in Wikipedia that having these dolls on display in the house beyond March 4 would result to the daughter of the house marrying late. I wonder if come next year, we’d be celebrating the Hinamatsuri (for the girls) or the Kodomo no hi (mainly for little boys). Hopefully. Excited! 🙂