The courtly pair
The central dairi-bina are a pair of dolls dressed in court costume. The pair can be displayed on their own in a small domestic space or form the centre of a larger set.
Illustrated Japanese Culture
Hinamatsuri
雛祭り
Hinamatsuri is a festival, usually held on 3 March, when dolls are displayed and wishes are made for girls’ healthy growth.
3 MarchUsual date
A pair in court dressCentral figures
From a pair to a multi-tier setDisplay size
01
Who is on the display?
Generic dolls; their left–right placement is discussed below.
- Dairi-bina: imperial couple
- Attendants and musicians
- Miniatures: domestic and wedding objects
An expanded court
Larger sets can include female attendants, five musicians, court officers and servants. Miniature furniture and utensils extend the display beyond the dolls. Their number and arrangement vary between sets.
Whose left and right?
In a traditional Kyoto arrangement, the male doll is often on the viewer’s right. In a widely used modern arrangement, he is on the viewer’s left. Here, left and right are described from the viewer’s position.
02
Several traditions, changing dolls
- Figures used in purification
- Hina play with small dolls
- Edo: festival displays develop
Purification and doll play
Hinamatsuri developed from more than one practice, including using human-shaped figures in purification and aristocratic play with small dolls. Its familiar festival form took shape during the Edo period.
Standing and seated figures
Standing and seated dolls both occur in the history of hina. Styles associated with the Kan’ei, Genroku and Kyōhō periods, followed by kokin-bina, varied in scale, faces and clothing. Older and newer types continued to coexist.
A palace or a tiered display
Kyoto displays could include a miniature palace and kitchen equipment. Edo and Tokyo displays more often used tiers and miniature bridal furnishings. Arrangements also vary within each region.
03
Different households, different sets
- Clay dolls: Edo–Meiji
- Imperial pairs become widespread
- Palace displays in local homes
Clay dolls in Tahara
Tahara’s museum records clay dolls as a common local choice during the Edo and Meiji periods, followed by courtly pairs and palace displays. Region and household means affected what could be owned and arranged.
A nineteenth-century Tokugawa set
The Tokugawa Art Museum preserves a nineteenth-century set associated with Tokugawa Yoshikatsu’s wife. Its miniature furnishings connect this family’s hina display with bridal equipment.
- Traditional figures and furnishings
- Wood, cloth and paper
- Plastic in modern sets too
Wood, cloth, paper and plastic
A seven-tier set made in Tokyo in 1981 and held by the National Museum of Japanese History combines wood, plastic, paper and cloth. Modern sets can retain the courtly arrangement while using materials different from older examples.
04
Flowers, food and flowing dolls
A seasonal table
Peach blossoms and foods such as hishimochi, grass-flavoured rice cakes, chirashi sushi and clear clam soup are associated with the festival. Choices vary among regions and families. Shirozake contains alcohol; children can be served a non-alcoholic drink instead.
Nagashibina in Mochigase
Mochigase in Tottori observes nagashibina on the third day of the third month of the old calendar. Paper dolls are placed on straw trays with items such as rice cakes and peach blossoms and set afloat in prayers for children’s growth and safety. This local rite differs from keeping a doll display indoors.
What can you now explain?
When is Hinamatsuri usually held?
On 3 March.
What are dairi-bina?
The central pair of dolls in court dress.
Does a hina display need seven tiers?
No. A pair alone can form a display.
Where is the male doll in a traditional Kyoto arrangement?
Often on the viewer’s right.
Which earlier practices contributed to Hinamatsuri?
Purification with human-shaped figures and aristocratic doll play.
How did doll styles change during the Edo period?
Their scale, faces and clothing changed, while older and newer types coexisted.
What distinguishes some Kyoto and Edo displays?
Kyoto examples may use a palace and kitchen equipment; Edo examples often use tiers and bridal furnishings.
Which dolls were common in Tahara during the Edo and Meiji periods?
Clay dolls.
What materials occur in the museum’s 1981 Tokyo-made set?
Wood, plastic, paper and cloth.
How does Mochigase’s nagashibina differ from an indoor display?
Paper dolls are set afloat on straw trays as part of a local rite.