Tour Report of Meiji Shrine & Harajuku on March 3rd, 2024 : Hinamatsuri (Doll’s Festival Day)

Thank you to those who participated in the Tokyo Free Walking Tour (TFWT) at Meiji Shrine & Harajuku today.  Today was the most suitable and comfortable day for walking.  Moreover, today was “Taian,” the most auspicious day in the old Japanese 6-day calendar, so our guests luckily met five or six traditional Shinto wedding processions and several families with a new-born baby.

We welcomed 5 guests from Switzerland, USA, and Germany.  We hope you all enjoyed and shared interesting and joyful conversations with each other during the tour.

Today, Doll’s Festival or Girl’s Festival called “Hinamatsuri” in Japanese was held.  Most families with girls display dolls for the Doll’s Festival.  This is an occasion to pray for young girls’ healthy growth and happiness.  Hinamatsuri is celebrated each year on the 3rd of March.  The display of the dolls depicts the wedding party of imperial families.  A traditional set of dolls includes the Emperor, the Empress, three court ladies, five court musicians, the minister of the left, the minister of the right and three servants.  But, these days, most sets of dolls are getting simpler, that is the pair of dolls, the Emperor and Empress because of the recent housing situations.  On this day, we eat traditional dishes like scattered sushi　(chirashi-sushi), clam soup, sweet white sake, rice cake cubes and diamond-shaped three-layered rice cakes for the Doll’s Festival.

The event related to the Doll’s Festival seems to have been held at Meiji Shrine as well.

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(posted by KAZ)