The festival and the museum in Mihara - Japan3 -

The Honmachi - Ohinamatsuri

The 3rd of March marks the Doll Festival, a day dedicated to wishing for the healthy growth and happiness of girls, and this small event forms part of that tradition. The main highlight is the stone dolls arranged along the temple steps. Each stones is carefully painted by kindergarten children and elderly residents from care homes, creating a warm, homemade atmosphere as they are thoughtfully lined up.

This was my second visit, although it felt it was a little quieter than last time. There were still plenty of people strolling around, admiring the displays and stopping to take photos.

The main street for this event, Honmachi-dori, was once the liveliest area,  with numerous independent shops lining the arcade. However, as time has passed, many of them have closed, leaving the street much quieter today. That said, some shops set up small tables to display the dolls, adding charm and a sense of continuity to the event. One shop even showcased two complete sets of, which is quite rare nowdays. I used to have a full set for myself as a child, but due to limited storage space, I now only display emperor and empress at the top.

It's such a warm day, and some cherry blossoms had already begun to bloom. I love events like this - theys make me feel that Spring has truly arrived, filling me with sense o excitement.

We enjoyed walking up towards the temples in the mountains, and it turned out to be great excersise, with so many ups and downs along the way.

The Mihara History Museum.

This site has been relocated and rebuilt in a new location, where it now showcases histrical artefacts from Mihara. I was particularly amazed by the model of the castle's main grounds shown in the photo. It's said the castle once served to defend the city, while temples were strategically relocated to the mountainside, as no one wished to attack them. What a clever idea that was! 

In the photo on the left, one of Japan's oldest traditional sweets has been carefully preserved in excellent condition for display, and it was even featured on TV the other day. Everyone felt a great sense of pride that something from this small town had been broadcast across Japan.