Thousands of dolls placed on the stage (Suzaka Art Park / 須坂アートパーク)

In Suzaka city, there are a museum called Suzaka Art Park.
It takes an hour by car from Matsumoto city, and they displays print arts and dolls corrected from all over the places from the world.

But this period, from end of January to  middle to April, Hina dolls are displayed in the most of spaces in the museum.

The largest display had 30 stages, thousands of dolls.




Usually, dolls displayed at home are 15.
It means that there are same numbers of 70 families dolls.

Not only large groups, there were several small sets of dolls.

This set above maybe really old.
I think the dolls in set like this with house is rare, so it maybe made long time ago.

There where a lot of families visiting here and everyone were looking at the largest groups.

There were some Kimono dress that children can wear.
Some kids were wearing them.

At the next building, there was one more large sets of dolls.
There were also thousands of dolls, too.
As there were big windows, the picture become little different.

At the beginning of May, the other festival, Tango no Sekku (端午の節句), will come and other dolls will displayed here.

I would like to go there again.

Thank you for reading!
Have a nice weekend!

A special festival day for the girls. "Hina matsuri / ひな祭り" (Suzaka Art Park / 須坂アートパーク)

March 3rd is a day for girls in Japan.
It is a festival day to wish the girls to grow up safely and healthy.

Few days before this day comes, we displays a dolls of ancient nobles.
These dolls are called "Ohina-sama", which means "small ones".

The festival it self is called "Hina matsuri", which means "A doll (small ones) festival".




It is getting a little rare, but most of families who has girl in Japan has a set of dolls.
My family had them when I was child, too.

The dolls are displayed on the stage like stair ways, and the pictures bellow are the standard ways to set the dolls.

Each dolls has fixed positions.
The highest place are seats for the emperor(お内裏さま) and empress (お雛さま).

At the second row from the upper side, the three court ladies (三人官女) stays.

These ladies holds a tools each, a special pot which pours Japanese rice wine(sake), small dishes to drink sake, and special plate to place the foods. We use these tools when having a wedding ceremony in shrines.

At the third row, five musicians (五人囃子) stays.

As my lends was not wide enough, I only could take four of them...

There were one more musician at left.

Most of the musician dolls had drums and flutes.

Fourth row, the ministers (左大臣と右大臣) stays.

They are the bodyguards for emperor and empress.

At this day, I was in a museum called Suzaka Art Park, and the dolls I liked best was the ministers bellow.

As they were placed a high place and covered by window, it was little difficult to take picture clearly... I can't tell how but It seemed cooler then other ministers in this museum.

At fifth row, three servants (三人上戸) stays.

The long thing a man above hold is an umbrella to shade empress from the sunlight. 

The thing a man above hold is a stand to place empress's Japanese sandal. 

The long thing a man above hold is an umbrella to cover empress from the rain. 

At the bottom row, there are some treasures are set.

The tools in the picture above is a tea set to serve Japanese style tea.

The car in the picture above is for empress to ride.

It is said that this festival's origin were in Heian era(平安時代), about 1200 years ago.

The purpose of this festival is to protect the girls and daughters from evil things, the devils and sicknesses.

The people believed that the dolls will take place if the unhappy things comes.

Today, I introduced the basic information about Hina matsuri.

The pictures were taken at Suzaka Art Park and there were more beautiful and huge displays.

I will introduce it in soon again.

I forgot one more thing.

I realized that Japan google's top page was in Hina maturi picture today.

Please click here to jump to google Japan.

Thank you for reading!!

Good night!!

The festival once in seventh year (Zenkoji temple / 善光寺 "Gokaicho / 御開帳" ) vol. 4

I goes to temples and shrines and pray for little things.

Always thanks god to being healthy, and living peacefully.

What people pray for?

Whether their hopes or wishes are small or large, it seems beautiful when people praying.

At Zenkoji temple, their are pillars with strings connected to deeply inside temple.

The pillar's name is "Ehobashira" and it is said that the string is connected to Buddha's statue.

For details about Ehobashira, please read my following blog.

http://four-seasons-japan.blogspot.jp/2015/04/ehobashira-pillar-connects-relationship.html

Their where shrine dog, the guardian of the temple, under the most large Ehobashira at Zenkoji temple. As it was so crowded at the day I visited he seemed very nervous.

I said to him in my heart "Don' worry. No one won't take a ball from you."

The festival once in seventh year (Zenkoji temple / 善光寺 "Gokaicho / 御開帳" ) vol. 3

Not only Priests, the children also takes important role.
Wearing special costume, they seemed like little flowers in the parade.

Seems little nerves, but trying to behave nice.

After the parade, they maybe feeling uncomfortable and bored.

I know they where happy wearing beautiful costume, but they likes to play, more.

In next Gokaicho, I think they will become beautiful lady.

The festival once in seventh year (Zenkoji temple / 善光寺 "Gokaicho / 御開帳" ) vol. 2

At April 25th, I have seen priest's parade at Zenkoji temple.
This parade's purpose is to glorify the hidden Buddhist statue.

Looking at their shoes, it seemed made by wood.

Looking from their back, the clothes are so beautiful.

The sunlight brightened their form really beautifully.

The festival once in seventh year (Zenkoji temple / 善光寺 "Gokaicho / 御開帳" ) vol. 1

Zenkoji temple is having a festival this year.
As it is held only once in every seventh year, there are several events during this period.

The main event is to show hidden Buddhist statue. You only can see this statue at "Gokaicho".

The festival had started at April 5th, and ends at May 31st.

Today, I will introduce what I saw before I reached Zenkoji temple.

This is Nio's foot. Nio is the guardian of the temple.

I was surprised how his muscle is realistic, even felt like as if he starts to move if the people have done not good thing to the temple.

Nio stays at the gate of Zenkoji temple.

It is usual to see Nio at the gate of temple in Japan.

It was so crowded...

I think this flower is a kind of cherry blossom.  

This Buddhist statue is said that one of god in Buddhism transformed to comical looking, and took a animal, raccoon, so that human can come to temple more relaxed and easily.

The fishes swimming in the sky (Children's Day, May 5th)

May 5th is known as Children's day in Japan.

If there are boy in the family, we show miniature of armor of samurai in the house.
Outside, we hang carp which made by cloth. This is called "Koi nobori".

"Koi" means carp, and "nobori" means raise.

It is said that this flying carp started to raise in Edo era, about 150 years ago.

Black carp is said "father carp".
Red carp is said "mother carp".
Blue, green and other colors are said "kids carp".

I saw these family above at Nagano city.

Met these families at Yokohama,

And met these family at Matsumoto city.

If you come to Japan in May, you will see carp families all over the places.