201503 Tokyo-Izu Peninsula Road Trip Day 6

Hanging Dolls Decoration (Hina no Tsurushi Kazari)

During my research for the trip, I found out about the Hina Matsuri (Dolls’ Festival) exhibition held in Izu Inatori. Hina Matsuri is usually held on 3^rd March, where parents pray for their daughters’ health and good marriage when they grow up. We happened to be in the area for the last day of the exhibition, of course, we had to visit.

Hina-no-kan Hall holds a number of Hina Dolls exhibitions throughout the year. Plenty of opportunities for visitors to see the Hina Dolls.

• Mid January to end March – Girl’s Festival
• April to June – Boy’s Festival
• September to December – Original Hanging Decorations

Izu Inatori is well-known for their Hanging Dolls decoration, Hina no Tsurushi Kazari. These hina dolls are handmade with love by mothers for their daughters and joined up on strings hung from a stand. What a colourful exhibition with beautiful displays. So much love must have been placed into making them.

Here’s a site that explains the significance of each type of Hanging Hina dolls.

 

Inatori Bunka Park

Spring was everywhere in Inatori Bunka Park which was next to the Hina Dolls exhibition. We took in the different types of Peach Blossoms and flowers in bloom.

A beautiful day as we watched some kids played football next to the park.

 

Lunch and Sea Breeze

We stopped at a rest stop and had simple Soba noodles for lunch. I am quite sure we did some shopping of local produces there too. After which, we went for a short walk on a rocky beach to enjoy the sea breeze and the beautiful view.

As I’d been driving the whole morning and the day before, we decided it was time for SY to take over. I took the opportunity to relax and take in the sights as she drove slowly. We drove by Kawazu River, known for their early blooming Cherry Blossoms that bloom in February. Thus, if you’re visiting Japan in February and want to see some Cherry Blossoms, Kawazu River would be the place to visit. All the trees were bare at the time of our visit (end of March). During the peak season, the Kawazu Cherry Blossom Festival attracted thousands of visitors daily.

Next: Waterfalls

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