Male dolls for the Girls' Festival

In the Edo era, the public holidays which the Imperial Court, the samurai, and the townspeople share were the five holidays of festivals.

The holidays are as follows: the "Jin-jitsu (=Man-day) on January 7" , the "Johshi ", on March 3, the "Tango (=Boys' Festival) on May 5 , the "Tanabata" on July 7, the "Chohyoh on September 9."

The each public holiday has the meaning of a seasonal change and the day when people pray for health.

The holiday of "Johshi" was the day of misfortune originally.

There was a custom of avoiding misfortune by passing a "figure of a man" in water on this public holiday.

March is the month when the flower of a peach blooms.

Since the Heian era, the "Hiina-asobi"="Playing with dolls displayed for the Dolls' Festival" has been a play of young girls.

The festival has been considered as the event in which healthy growth of young girls is wished, and has been established as an annual event.

The word "hiina" was the word "HINA" of Sanskrit and has the meaning of "small". (The word was introduced into Japan in the ancient time.)

The "tachi-bina (=standing doll)", which is considered to be the original form of the present dolls for the Girls' Festival, was produced in the Muromachi era.

The doll in the present style, which is sitting on the floor, was manufactured in the Edo era.

Several styles of the dolls were made then: the "Kanei-bina", the "Kyoho-bina", and the decent "Jirozaemon-bina", whose face is round.

In the Imperial Court, however, the mistake of the Imperial Court's practices was corrected and the doll called the "Yusoku-bina (=ancient practice doll)" was made.

Among the townspeople, "Kokon-bina" (=past and present doll) modeled on the "Yusoku-bina" was made.