Yurihonjo Hinakaido Festival - part 1

On 6th March, hubby and I went to see Yurihonjo Hinakaido doll festival in Yurihonjo City of Akita prefecture. The Japanese doll festival Hinamatsuri is held on 3rd March every year. Families with daughters display a set of ornamental dolls representing the emperor and empress (Dairibina), three court ladies (Sannin Kanjo), five male musicians (Gonin Bayashi), two ministers, and three Samurai attendants in traditional court dress of Heian period. The custom of displaying dolls began during the Heian period, and it was believed that the dolls possessed the power to contain evil spirits. While Hinamatsuri is a private display of Hina dolls at homes, we visited a public display of Hina dolls, some of which were antique and dated back a few hundred years.

Yurihonjo Hinakaido Festival means ‘Yurihonjo City Hina doll route’. It is a public annual traditional doll display event held in the city. The first event was held in 2008, and since then it has been held every year. Yurihonjo Hinakaido Festival encompasses four main areas of Yurihonjo City, namely Iwaki in the north, Ouchi and Honjo in the center, and Yashima in the south. This year, Hina dolls were displayed at six public exhibition halls from 13th February to 3rd April. These public halls are Kameda Castle Sato Yasohachi Art Museum, Iwaki Local History Museum, Ouchi Dewa Denshokan, Yashima Kyodo Bunka Hozon Denshu Shisetsu, Honjo Kyodo Shiryokan Museum, and Shushin-kan Hall in Honjo Park. In addition, Machinaka Hina Meguri Festival takes place in more than 60 different locations within the city where visitors can follow a map and drop by in shops, hotels, a few private homes and offices, and see the display of traditional Hina dolls. This year it was held from 12th March to 21st March in the city. The displayed Hina dolls vary greatly in size, history and style.

On 6th March, hubby and I went to see the display of Hina dolls at Honjo Kyodo Shiryokan Museum, which was one of the six public exhibition halls used for the display of Hina dolls. Honjo Kyodo Shiryokan is located in Yurihonjo City and is a local historical artifacts museum. Ten Hina doll sets containing 100 dolls and 250 sets of related accessories were on display. The museum is located about 1.6 kilometers away from our home and it took us just 5 minutes of car ride to reach in front of the museum. At the entrance area of the museum building, we paid 100 Yen per person as admission fee to enter inside the building. We saw the exhibition of several types of exquisite and beautiful Hina doll sets in one of the rooms of the museum. We moved inside the room in a clockwise direction and enjoyed seeing the antique doll sets one at a time.

Two tickets for admission into the exhibition hall of Honjo Kyodo Shiryokan

Hubby standing inside the exhibition hall with many antique Hina dolls in the background

Hina dolls of Watanabe-ke

The first set of Hina dolls on display belongs to the family (ke in Japanese) of Watanabe Yoshio of Mikuramachi town. On the back of the box case where this doll set is usually kept, the year 1838 is written which is probably the year the dolls were bought. It is also written on the case that the doll set belongs to Jou-un-in. Jou-un-in was the wife of the ninth feudal lord Rokugo Masatsune of Honjo Domain located in Dewa province (present day Akita and Yamagata prefecture) during Edo period. The wife was originally from Ise province and moved to Honjo after marriage to the feudal lord. All the dolls were displayed in three platforms at the hall. The emperor (Obina or Odairisama) and empress (Mebina or Ohinasama) dolls were displayed on the topmost platform. The height of these imperial (Dairibina) dolls was 45 centimeters, which is very large. These Dairibina dolls were of the type Kyohobina. The faces of the dolls were slightly oval and the facial expressions were noble. Odairisama emperor doll was wearing a Sokutai and Ohinasama empress doll was wearing a fascinating five-layered Itsutsuginu robe, Karaginu top, and a swollen orange Hakama skirt. These gorgeous clothes and Kazari (accessory) decorations are one of the salient features of Kyohobina dolls. The gorgeous clothes and the hugeness of these dolls represent the peak of Hinamatsuri Festival during the Edo period. The second platform had the display of five male dolls representing Gonin Bayashi musicians and the third platform had five male dolls representing two ministers and three Samurai attendants.

Hina dolls of Watanabe-ke

Kyohobina imperial Dairibina dolls and the five Gonin Bayashi musician dolls of Watanabe-ke

Empress (Ohinasama) doll of Watanabe-ke

Beautiful facial expression of the empress doll

Emperor (Odairisama) doll of Watanabe-ke

Five Gonin Bayashi dolls (upper platform) and five male dolls representing ministers and Samurai attendants (lower platform) of Watanabe-ke

Jo and Uba dolls

Next we saw a set of ceramic dolls representing Jo (male) and Uba (female) who are an elderly couple from the Noh play Takasago. They are supposed to be the guardians of pine forest. The legend has it that Uba sweeps out the bad and Jo rakes in the good. It is said that the elderly couple brings good luck into a marriage. Although no information was provided about the history of these ceramic dolls, they looked very elegant and respectable.

Jo and Uba ceramic dolls

Hina dolls of Tokioka-ke

The second set of Hina dolls on display belongs to Tokioka-ke (Tokioka Family) of Mikuramachi town. Tokioka Family members were Shugenja who undertook ascetic practices at a mountain temple named Kihozan Jokakuji located in the town. The temple was founded by feudal lord Tateoka Mitsushige of Honjo Domain in 1610 but now it is in ruins and only the gravestones in the temple premises remain. The displayed Hina doll set at the hall is usually kept in the storage of Tokioka-ke. The doll set was brought into the family by a bride of Tokioka-ke. On the back of the box case where this doll set is usually kept, the year 1869 is written which is probably the year the dolls were bought. So this doll set was probably made sometime during the end of Edo period and the beginning of Meiji period. The name Takahashi Kahei is also written on the case which indicates that he is probably the maker of the doll set. All the dolls were displayed in two platforms at the hall. The imperial Dairibina dolls were displayed on the top platform. These imperial dolls were of the type Kokinbina and had traditional elegant faces with clear eyes. In addition, five male musicians Gonin Bayashi were displayed on the second platform. Every year this doll set is carefully exhibited in Tokioka-ke during the Hinamatsuri Festival.

Hina doll set of Tokioka-ke consisting of Kokinbina imperial Dairibina dolls and five Gonin Bayashi musician dolls

Kokinbina imperial Dairibina dolls of Tokioka-ke

Empress (Ohinasama) doll of Tokioka-ke

Empress doll had an elegant face with clear eyes

Emperor (Odairisama) doll of Tokioka-ke

Hina dolls of Kosaka-ke

Next, we saw two Hina doll sets (third and fourth sets) and many other interesting dolls displayed in the hall. All these dolls belong to Kosaka-ke (Kosaka Family) of Kamiyokomachi in Yurihonjo City. Kosaka-ke was a merchant family, and had been involved in making and trading of Koji of Miso and Shoyu from Edo period. The shops prospered until recently, but unfortunately closed in 2009. All the dolls of Kosaka-ke were displayed in four platforms at the hall. Some of the exhibited dolls were rather unusual and unique. Two sets of imperial Dairibina dolls were displayed on the topmost platform. Both the sets were Kyohobina dolls from Edo period and I loved these Dairibina dolls very much. Both of the empress Kyohobina dolls were wearing vibrant and colorful five-layered Itsutsuginu robe, Karaginu top made using rich colorful silk brocades and satin woven with gold threads, and swollen Hakama skirt. In addition, the empress dolls had ceremonial metal crowns. Both the emperor dolls were wearing equally luxurious Kimono. The faces of both sets of imperial Dairibina dolls were very expressive. The eyes were partially carved and then painted. Both the antique Kyohobina Hina doll sets were extremely elegant and beautiful. Along with these two sets of imperial Dairibina dolls, various other dolls were also displayed on the lower three platforms. For the sake of brevity, I will divide the lower three platforms into the left and the right side. First I will discuss about the dolls displayed on the left side of the platforms. Five male musicians Gonin Bayashi were displayed on the second (from top) platform, uniquely unconventional queued dolls named Gyoretsu Ningyo were displayed on the third platform, and Empress Jingu Kougou and her minister Takenouchi no Sukune were displayed on the fourth platform. Now I will discuss about some of the dolls displayed on the right side of the platforms. The information pamphlet about the dolls of Kosaka-ke indicated that there were three sets of imperial Dairibina dolls on display. So I searched for the third set of Dairibina dolls and found them to be exhibited on the right side of the second platform. This set of Dairibina dolls did not have any crown or headdress which made it rather difficult to identify them from the rest of the other beautiful dolls exhibited. An elderly couple named Jo and Uba from the Noh play Takasago were displayed on the third platform. In addition, two dimensional Oshiebina dolls made of padded Kimono fabric and Washi paper were also displayed on this platform. Five dolls of Hanaodori Gonin Musume (flower hat dance by five daughters) were displayed on the fourth platform. The box cases of all these various doll sets show that most of these dolls were collected by Kosaka-ke from Tempo era (1830-1844) of Edo period up to 15th year of Taisho period (1926).

Left side of the display of antique Hina dolls of Kosaka-ke

Right side of the display of Hina dolls of Kosaka-ke

First set of Kyohobina imperial Dairibina dolls located on the left side of the topmost platform

Empress Ohinasama doll

Emperor Odairisama doll

Second set of Kyohobina imperial Dairibina dolls located on the right side of the topmost platform

Empress Ohinasama doll

Emperor Odairisama doll

Gonin Bayashi dolls and Gyoretsu Ningyo dolls located on the left side of the second platform (from top) and the third platform, respectively

Dolls of Empress Jingu Kougou (left) and her minister Takenouchi no Sukune (right) located on the left side of the fourth platform

Third set of imperial Dairibina dolls (1) located on the right side of the second platform were without any hat or crown. In addition, an elderly couple dolls (2) and Oshiebina dolls (3) located on the third platform, and Hanaodori Gonin Musume dolls (4) located on the fourth platform looked amazing.

Hina dolls of Komatsu-ke

Next, we saw two Hina doll sets (fifth and sixth sets) displayed in the hall. These two sets of dolls belong to Komatsu-ke. These Hina dolls were typical small sized (about 10 centimeters) Keshibina dolls of mid Edo period. During this period the edicts of Edo government restricted the usage of many luxurious items, which included the large sized extravagant Hina dolls. So the doll makers created extremely fine forms of dolls that were only 10 centimeters in height. Such detailed intricate miniaturized dolls were named Keshibina or ‘poppy seed’ Hina, and became very popular during the latter half of the Edo period. The Hina dolls of Komatsu-ke were initially bought as presents for a daughter born to Ishiwaki no Sato-ke (Sato Family) in the beginning of Showa period. When this daughter entered Komatsu-ke as a bride, she brought these dolls with her into the Komatsu Family. All the Hina dolls were displayed in four platforms at the hall. Although the dolls of Komatsu-ke were small in size, they were precise, impressive, and profound. Two sets of imperial Dairibina dolls were displayed on the topmost platform. Both the sets were of Keshibina type. These imperial dolls had elegant and noble faces and were wearing vibrant and colorful Kimono with a lot of gold threads and gold brocade. The two empress Ohinasama dolls were wearing a five-layered Itsutsuginu robe, Karaginu top, and were complemented by an elaborate metal crown and a ceremonial folding fan named Hiougi. The two emperor Odairisama dolls were wearing Sokutai attire, and were complemented by a ceremonial headdress named Kanmuri and holding a ritual baton Shaku. Along with these imperial Dairibina dolls, many other dolls were also displayed. Two sets of three Nyokan court ladies were displayed on the second (from top) platform. In addition, five male Gakujin musicians were displayed on the third platform, and Zuishin ministers and Jichou court helpers were displayed on the fourth platform. Doll furniture Hina Dougu was also exhibited in all the platforms. These two sets of Hina dolls were small but seemed so opulent.

Hina dolls of Komatsu-ke

First set of Keshibina imperial Dairibina dolls located on the left side of the topmost platform

Empress Ohinasama doll

Emperor Odairisama doll

Second set of Keshibina imperial Dairibina dolls located on the right side of the topmost platform

Empress Ohinasama doll

Elegant and noble face of the empress Ohinasama doll

Emperor Odairisama doll

Two sets of three Nyokan court ladies displayed on the second platform (upper photo), five male Gakujin musicians displayed on the third platform (middle photo), and Zuishin court ministers and Jichou court helpers displayed on the fourth platform (lower photo)

We loved viewing the display of so many sets of antique Hina dolls in the hall of Honjo Kyodo Shiryokan Museum. There were several more Hina dolls on display about which I will write in the next post.