 Most viewed - Katsuura 勝浦市 |
The small coastal town of Katsuura holds one of Japan's most impressive hina matsuri doll festival during late Feb. to early March. 232 viewsA whopping 25,000 hina ningyo dolls are displayed all over town. Photo: JR Katsuura Station on the Sotobo Line. Katsuura is about 2 hours from Tokyo on non-express trains. Board the Sotobo Line at Chiba Station.
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Origami hina dolls190 views
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Katsuura fish market188 views
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So, I think I saw most of the 25,000 hina dolls on display at Katsuura.171 views
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167 views
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View from Kangun-zuka.165 views
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When you arrive at Katsuura Station, you'll see a big display of hina matsuri dolls. Don't be impressed yet though. The Katsuura Big Hinamatsuri festival is held during late Feb. until March 3 which is Girls Day.142 views
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Doll display at Kakuoji temple's Sanmon Gate. About 600 dolls here. Displayed from 8 am to 6:30 pm and lit up at 5 pm. Accented by nanohana rape blossoms.142 views
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Meiji Period137 views
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Origami hina dolls132 views
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This is the famous display of hina ningyo dolls on 60 steps of Tomisaki Shrine. It is the festival's centerpiece and main attraction.128 views
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Placing hina dolls in bamboo is common.127 views
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Back in central Katsuura, a house with an elaborate display of hina dolls.127 views
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Noren shop curtain with hina doll design.124 views
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Hina matsuri dolls at Tona street intersection in Katsuura, Chiba. About 600 dolls are displayed here from 8 am to 5 pm during the festival period.122 views
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122 views
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This Big Hina Matsuri festival started relatively recently. The city of Katsuura got the idea for this festival after the town of Katsuura in Tokushima Prefecture (Shikoku) started its Big Hina Matsuri in 1989.121 views
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When planning to visit the hina matsuri in Katsuura, make sure it will not rain. If it rains, the hina dolls will not be displayed outdoors. They are the most impressive ones. This is at the Tona street intersection.119 views
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This neighborhood bookstore has hina dolls under the magazine racks.119 views
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Are those ping-pong ball heads?119 views
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A few minutes walk from Katsuura Station, this Tona street intersection will be the first giant display of hina dolls you will see. 墨名（とな）交差点117 views
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All over central Katsuura, you will see hina dolls displayed, especially at storefronts. It makes it a very charming sight.117 views
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Dolls depicting figure skaters Takahashi Daisuke and Ando Miki who appeared at the Vancouver Winter Olympics during the time of the hina matsuri.117 views
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A futon bedding shop has hina dolls made of blankets.116 views
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115 views
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They use simple, everyday materials to make these hina dolls.114 views
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114 views
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It was a nice sunny weekday when I went. On weekends, they have various entertainment. But the weekends were cloudy or rainy this year.113 views
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113 views
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If it starts to rain, the surrounding neighbors will come out immediately to put away the dolls. There was no threat of rain this day.112 views
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Walk further and you see this small space exhibiting origami hina dolls.112 views
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The dolls are displayed from 8 am to 7 pm (or 8 pm on weekends). If it rains, the dolls are not displayed.112 views
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An early-blooming variety of cherry blossom also bloom in Katsuura during the hina matsuri, making it an added attraction. It was held during Feb. 20 to March 3, 2010 when I went.111 views
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Tourist info office near Katsuura Station. They offer maps of the city and hina matsuri points of interest.111 views
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Central Katsuura is compact, and you can reach most places on foot. Sign points the way to Tomisaki Shrine. There are a few places in Katsuura where you can see giant displays of hina dolls. Tomisaki Shrine is the centerpiece.111 views
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About 1,200 hina dolls are sitting on these steps. This doll display is assembled every morning at 7 am and put away every evening during the festival. It takes around 15 people about an hour to set up the dolls every morning during the festival.111 views
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111 views
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Since Katsuura town in Tokushima had the same name as Katsuura in Chiba, they lent 7,000 hina dolls to Katsuura in Chiba to start their own "Big Hina Matsuri."110 views
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110 views
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The whole town has become involved in the festival's success. Many owners of shops and homes where tourists pass by decorate their buildings with hina dolls.109 views
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Even this soft drink vending machine had hina dolls.109 views
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A tsunami trap if I ever saw one.109 views
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108 views
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108 views
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These hanging decorations called tsurushi kazari (つるし飾り) often flank the hina dolls. Hanging on the strings are various decorations such as goldfish. Each decoration is significant for something, usually related to prosperity, good health and fo107 views
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The 2nd floor of the public library also displays handmade hina dolls made by local nursery school kids.107 views
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107 views
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From the Taisho Period.107 views
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Since it's wasteful to throw away these hina dolls, they send them to places like Katsuura to be reused. Katsuura's collection has thus grown to 25,000 as people all over Japan sent their old dolls.106 views
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Kakuoji temple 覚翁寺（かくおうじ）山門前105 views
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105 views
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105 views
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Hina dolls made of quilt material.105 views
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The hina dolls are traditionally displayed in a home to pray for the health and growth of the family's children. However, after the kids grow up, the hina dolls are no longer displayed.104 views
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If the dolls are displayed and it starts to rain, people in the neighborhood all rush out to put away the dolls.104 views
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104 views
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Sushi (my lunch) with a hina doll and sakura flower design. The head is made of cheese.104 views
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Hina dolls outside the ryokan.104 views
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Edo Period hina dolls104 views
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The festival in Katsuura, Chiba has grown to have a whopping 25,000 hina dolls on exhibit during late Feb. to March 3, the traditional Girls Day. It has since become famous in the Tokyo (Kanto) area as the TV news report it in late Feb.103 views
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This shop decorated its stairway and 2nd floor.103 views
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103 views
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Each hina doll thus represents a family's hope, prayer, and history.102 views
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About the Katsuura Hina Matsuri doll festival.102 views
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Entering Tomisaki Shrine.102 views
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102 views
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Morning market gets really crowded later in the afternoon when more tourists arrive.102 views
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102 views
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Hina dolls in bamboo.102 views
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102 views
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102 views
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This is by far the biggest hina doll display I had ever seen in Japan. A hina matsuri of similar scale is also held in Katsuura, Tokushima Prefecture.101 views
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101 views
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101 views
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Doll display at Kakuoji temple's Sanmon Gate. This is at the end of the Chuo Shotengai shopping street. 覚翁寺（かくおうじ）山門前101 views
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101 views
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100 views
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Way to Tomisaki Shrine.100 views
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100 views
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Dolls in a bottle100 views
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99 views
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99 views
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Inside the ryokan are hina dolls.99 views
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99 views
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Next to the temple is the public library, another venue for doll displays.99 views
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The 2nd floor of the public library exhibits hina dolls.99 views
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Older dolls are also displayed.99 views
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98 views
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98 views
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98 views
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Doll exhibit for a photo op. Sit there to take a picture with the dolls.98 views
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Tourist information98 views
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Hina matsuri dolls at Katsuura City Hall. About 500 dolls here, displayed from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm during the festival period.98 views
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It says, "Katsuura Hina Matsuri."97 views
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Each vendor at the morning market also displays hina dolls along with their wares. Very nice touch.97 views
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97 views
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97 views
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This Matsu no Ie ryokan is an Important Cultural Property. 松の家97 views
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These dolls are also lit up at night until 8 pm when they are put away.95 views
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95 views
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Held at the same time as the doll festival is the Asa-ichi morning market along a back street.95 views
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This is the Katsuura Chuo Shotengai shopping street, the festival's main street. It leads to Kakuoji temple and the public library where there are more dolls.95 views
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As soon as you step into Katsuura City Hall, you see this large stand of hina dolls.95 views
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Katsuura City Hall94 views
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Inside Katsuura City Hall94 views
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94 views
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One more place to see hina dolls is at Katsuura City Hall. Walkable from the public library.93 views
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93 views
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About the Kangun-zuka.88 views
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Statue of Oman-no-kata, daughter of Katsuura Castle lord Masaki Yoritada. She became Tokugawa Ieyasu's concubine at age 17 and gave birth to Tokugawa Yorinobu (clan in Kishu) and Yorifusa (clan in Mito).78 views
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75 views
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Hachiman Misaki Park was the former site of Katsuura Castle. Masaki Yoritada was the castle lord until 1590.73 views
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Katsuura port with fishing boats.72 views
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Katsuura Lighthouse72 views
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Katsuura Lighthouse and cherry blossoms72 views
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Torii island71 views
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71 views
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When Oman-no-kata was 14, Katsuura Castle was beseiged by Hideyoshi's forces and she, her mother and little brother escaped near here by using a white sheet to go down the cliff to a small boat which took them to Tateyama.71 views
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Kangun-zuka Memorial. During the Boshin War between the forces of the shogun and Emperor Meiji, a ship carrying the Kumamoto clan to Hakodate's Goryokaku fortress sank off this shore. This memorial is for the 135 people who died on the ship. 官軍塚70 views
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Katsuura has a scenic coastline. This is the Pacific Ocean.69 views
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That white tower is the Katsuura Underwater Marine Tower for observing fish.69 views
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Map of Hachiman Misaki Park, an easy walk from central Katsuura.69 views
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69 views
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69 views
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Aji68 views
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Lookout point68 views
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68 views
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The lookout point on Hachiman Misaki Park can be seen.67 views
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Katsuura Lighthouse and cherry blossoms67 views
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Squid66 views
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66 views
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66 views
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Nice costal views as you walk from Hachiman Misaki to Katsuura Lighthouse.66 views
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66 views
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66 views
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65 views
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Katsuura Lighthouse was not open to the public.64 views
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Drying fish in the sun.63 views
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63 views
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