Mizuho Hina Matsuri at Koshinkan 瑞穂のつるし飾り
|
|
|
Mizuho, a small town in western Tokyo, holds its annual Hina Matsuri Doll Festival called Mizuho no Tsurushi Kazari, or Hanging Decorations of Mizuho from mid-February to March 3.
|
|
The venue is an old Japanese house called Koshinkan (耕心館), originally built in the late Edo Period by a rich farmer. Later it was occupied by a shoyu maker (soy sauce) and then a silk grower. It's now owned and used by Mizuho as an event space.
|
|
Koshinkan is a 20-min. walk from JR Hakonegasaki Station. I rented a bicycle for 200 yen at the train station and rode to Koshinkan. Selling local products outside Koshinkan during Hina Matsuri.
|
|
Koshinkan's events.
|
|
Koshinkan's main building houses a restaurant, gallery spaces, and a small performance space on the 2nd floor for small concerts, etc. It has been beautifully renovated.
|
|
A small storehouse, converted into an office, is attached to the main building.
|
|
Koshinkan has this separate kura storehouse housing a hina doll display.
|
|
About the storehouse.
|
|
Inside the kura storehouse, gorgeous hina doll display. Besides the dolls, there is kimono and more stuff on the side walls (not pictured). Notice the snakes in the foreground.
|
|
|
Kimono decoration on the left wall inside the kura.
|
|
Kimono Mt. Fuji decoration on the right wall inside the kura.
|
|
|
|
Hina dolls inside the kura storehouse.
|
|
|
|
Kimono complements the hina dolls.
|
|
Snake created with kimono obi material. 2013 is the Year of the Snake.
|
|
Snake created with kimono obi material. 2013 is the Year of the Snake.
|
|
Smaller decorations on the floor.
|
|
|
|
|
Cicada
|
|
|
Snakes
|
|
Miniature daruma
|
|
Koshinkan also has a small garden.
|
|
Well at Koshinkan
|
|
About the well at Koshinkan.
|
|
Little flowers
|
|
Bird house
|
|
Hina dolls at the entrance of the Koshinkan's main building. Free admission.
|
|
The first exhibition space has these hina decorations.
|
|
Hina decorations at Koshinkan. Koshinkan's main building has two exhibition rooms filled with hina dolls and hanging decorations.
|
|
|
Snakes for 2013, Year of the Snake.
|
|
The other exhibition space on the 1st floor is bigger, with more dolls and hanging decorations.
|
|
|
Top-tier Hina dolls at Koshinkan, Mizuho, Tokyo.
|
|
|
There are ten ladies who volunteer to make these hanging decorations every year by hand at their own expense. They add many new dolls each year to this hina doll display.
|
|
This hina doll exhibit started eight years ago, so there were eight years worth of hina dolls and hanging decorations today. Every year, the number of decorations increases.
|
|
The ladies, who love their hometown of Mizuho, decided to make these hina decorations a symbol of their unknown town.
|
|
|
|
|
Closeup of hanging decorations. Popular are the Oriental zodiac animals. But they also have other stuff like goldfish, birds, etc. They are made to pray for the safety, healthy growth, and good marriage of girls (usually the oldest daughter).
|
|
|
Monkey
|
|
Horse
|
|
Goldfish
|
|
Rabbits
|
|
Little dolls of tea pickers. Mizuho produces Sayama tea.
|
|
These dolls were made this past year.
|
|
On the second floor there was a quilt exhibition by Morgan Hill, California, Mizuho's sister city.
|
|
|
Quilt exhibition on the 2nd floor of the Koshinkan in Mizuho, Tokyo, by Morgan Hill, California, Mizuho's sister city.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Quilts from Morgan Hill, California were forwarded to people in Tohoku.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
