Hinamatsuri

My first educational post in a long long time!

I was randomly exploring Northpoint next to Mid Valley Mall with a wanderlust friend and came across this:

Hinamatsuri.

Just like expressed in Japanese manga Case Closed (Detective Conan)! After finding this rare treat, I actually did my homework (thanks Wikipedia) and found out about the meaning behind this doll display.

Hinamatsuri is the Japanese Doll Festival or Girls' Day held on March 3rd and it is a custom to place a doll display in seven tiers to represent the Emperor, Empress and the royal court in the Heian period. The dolls are thought to ward of evil spirits back then. The placement order from left to right are different in Kansai and Kanto, but the order of dolls per level remain the same.

Families usually assemble the display in February and take it down before March 4th. Superstition says that leaving the dolls past that will result in a late marriage for the daughter.

Cool stuff! And they are very expensive in Japan, because each doll is individually handmade to perfection.