Participants of a walking tour held by Army Community Service admire "Hina" dolls as they go up the stairs to the Zama Shrine, Japan, March 1, 2022. Every year, shrines across Japan attract crowds by allowing parents to display intricate dolls that represent their daughters as they pray for their growth and happiness. (Sean Kimmons) ()
ZAMA, Japan – As onlookers flowed toward the steep stairs leading up to the Zama Shrine, they maneuvered for the best camera angle to capture photos of the hundreds of dolls resting on them.
Among the visitors was a group of about 50 people from a Camp Zama walking tour hosted by Army Community Service.
Each year, shrines across Japan attract crowds by allowing parents to display intricate “Hina” dolls that represent their daughters as they pray for their growth and happiness.
The Dolls Festival, or “Hinamatsuri,” lasts for days until families take down the decorations after March 3, which marks Girls’ Day in Japan. If a doll remains at the shrine for longer, according to superstition, it could result in a late marriage for the daughter.
The tradition believes that the elaborate dolls, which can cost between $500 to $10,000, rid away evil spirits to keep daughters safe from things like accidents and diseases.
Jennifer Thomas, an Army spouse, walked up the stairs and admired the dolls with her 2-year-old daughter, Emersyn.
Thomas and her family arrived in Japan a few months ago. This event marked her first tour in the local community. She said she plans to take her husband and sons to see the dolls as well.
“We want to get immersed into the culture and experience everything while we’re here,” Thomas said.
As Sharon Wilhelm, an Army spouse with two teenage daughters, turned the corner to face the stairs, she said she was amazed with the amount of dolls on display.
“I had no idea that there would be so many dolls, and they’re beautiful and so intricate, delicate and pretty,” Wilhelm said.
In addition to dolls for the daughters, the festival had numerous dolls that represented an imperial family wedding in the Heian Period (794-1185), known as the last division of classical Japanese history.
The wedding displays at the Shinto shrine had red-carpeted tiers, with each tier featuring dolls that resembled servants, ministers, musicians and court ladies, and the emperor and empress at the top.
Antique dolls from the Edo period (1603-1867) were also on display inside the shrine.
Kasumi Yamamoto, a staff member at the shrine, said local residents began bringing in old Hina dolls about 15 years ago and asked the shrine to safely store them. The shrine has publicly displayed the large collection of dolls for the past six years.
Yamamoto expressed gratitude toward the walking tour participants for showing an interest in the festival.
“We appreciate the opportunity to share traditional Japanese culture with people from foreign countries,” Yamamoto said. “It’s also good for them to learn and deepen their understanding of a different culture.”
Sari Sugai, an ACS program coordinator who organized the walking tour, passed out a factsheet on the festival beforehand to help teach participants about the tradition.
She hoped the tour inspired them to attend other events and explore more of the country.
“It’s been really challenging for all of us with so many limitations due to the pandemic, but we don’t want to get used to just staying at home,” Sugai said. “We want them to come out, make some friends and get connected and be happy while they’re in Japan.”
