The main decorative item for girls day (other than young girls in Kimonos) is a set of Hina-Ningyo dolls with an Empress.....
An Emperor......
The set usually consists of 15 dolls (depending on how wealthy you are) total and is a heritage item that gets passed down generation to generation. In wealthier families, a new set is bought for each daughter born. This displays cost in upwards of $1000. Parents buy these dolls to wish their daughters future happiness so they may grown up to become bright and prosperous like th emperor and empress depicted atop the hierarchy. The set will also include many warriors, musicians, ladies serving sake, and other such sub-servants. The dolls are only placed during this festival and then taken down and packed away. It is believed that if the display is kept up too long, a daughters' marriage will be delayed.
The water parade depicted the same scene as the dolls.
The older girls (7 years) wear golden headresses...
The younger girls (5 years) have peach blossoms, which stand for and happy marriage. They represent gentility, composure, and tranquility - all of which are very desirable traits for Japanese women. They are all so cute!
Even Skooshi had on her little kimono for the Doll Festival!
After the parade was over, we were fortunate enough to be able to observe a wedding party partaking in the fun.
Pre-war Japan was also highly segregated against women. Females were not allowed to walk along certain streets and older generations were advised not even to go outside. Since going outside tans your skin, only the lower class would have tanned skin. Even today, women carry umbrellas and will wear gloves and hats in the summer to prevent from tanning. Complete the opposite of me basically!
Girls Day used to be one of the few occasions were girls were admired and paid attention. Even Valentine's Day in Japan is opposite. The women give gifts to the men! Crazy! Below is a story about the road that runs along this stream.
The city is known as a tourist spot to float down these streams and they keep with traditional boats and drivers wearing traditional outfits.
So in the US it is a joke about Asian Tourists and their cameras. Well NOT just when they come to the US are they picture happy. See the picture below for an example.
I also realized on this trip that I NEVER want to become a famous movie star. These "stalkerazzi" followed us all along the river taking pictures of Chelsea, myself and the dog. I was even asked to pose by a willow tree while 5 camera men snapped pictures. What on earth are 7 different camera men going to do with so many pictures of a Blonde haired American. I don't even want to think about it. Gross! Or, perhaps I will become famous as a result. It quickly became a great annoyance though and we had to tell them to leave us alone. After, we got a picture of them back though.
Further down the river, there was this cute old man playing I think what is a new electric form, called Tiashokoto, of the old-style Koto (a 5-13 string instrument played traditionally by plucking the strings. Geisha played this as one of their special instruments).
As we wound further around the river, we naturally came upon another shrine...this one however, was attached to a petting zoo. To each its own I guess. We did get to see a baptism in progress. The monkeys are at the division of the shrine from the zoo. I guess the gods close their eyes like the monkeys...
I guess that one nice thing is that the paparzzi following you around can be useful. For getting gas for Paris Hilton or loaning money to Brittney Spears, or taking our picture when we wanted a group photo with our camera. It did cost us about 50 other shared pictures and 5 more minutes of smiling but I guess it was worth it.
Next we headed to the doll museum to see some displays in person! The antique ones below are from the 1700s and all costumes are made in silk.
The newer more traditional, yet elaborate one is below...
Our last stop on our loop is the cute central area with all these shops around the water. Kind of like a quaint European relaxed feel (so NOT Japan). Great people watching so I definitely collected plenty for my fashion reel. AWESOME! Large floating empress on the water here...
Stores lining this street were packed with stuffed animal mobiles and other cutesy things. Like knick-nacks, or nu-nus as my mom calls them.
Yet another shrine that was at the end of this stretch. Pretty though because it had green accents (Chelsea's favorite color!).
We stopped by another tourist center that featured a different traditional item of Girls Day...Hime-Temari Balls. Traditionally, they were made for sports using old pieces of Kimono. the fabric is waded up into a ball and then strings are wrapped around it followed by more fabric to make pattern and then strings to tie it all together. With the invention of rubber (no longer needed for sports), only the aristocratic women would create these brightly colored balls and give them to daughters or loved female friends to represent friendship and loyalty to one another. The bright colors of the ball are meant to give good fortune and a "bright" future to the recipient.
On the other side of the water were some fresh fish markets. Alike the Chinese, Japanese stores are very traditional and family run. Even this little girl is learning to cut fish like her grandmother! Now that's real child labor!
I'm going to end with some fun things, like 2 great inventions by the Japanese....
A bike with gloves attached. Good in the winter for keeping your hands warm and in the summer to prevent tanning. I tried to get a picture in action but I had to drive...
And flexible sole boots, called Tobai shokunin or Tabi, with a separate toe area. They wear them in the shipyards, construction sites. I guess you are more agile in them but you look like a Ninja!
Lastly, some wonderful Japanese fashion. High Couture! So really take you pick with the converse and double leggings, but my favorite is the purple tights with the short shorts and high boots. Of course throw on a scarf and as if it is not confusing enough, a floral purse is the perfect touch!
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