"Kamimi no Sekku"
I have a total of three dolls displayed in various places in my house, including dolls for my two daughters and, since last year, a doll for my dog Milo.
The Hina dolls for three people are each chosen by a different person, so there is no sense of unity, and the dolls are overflowing with the individuality, wishes, and hopes of the people who chose them, which makes them both heartwarming and interesting. I've come to feel this more and more as I've gotten older.
For my eldest daughter, my husband's father chose a hina doll with a slightly unusual color and an old-fashioned face.
For my second daughter, my mother chose hina dolls with soft colors and a Kimekomi style.
For my dog's Hina doll, I chose a standing Hina doll with a small size and beautiful deep red color.
It's strange that the Hina dolls and the daughter seem to be similar to each other.
When a girl is born, grandparents and parents share the same strong feelings:
“I want you to grow up healthy and lead a happy and blessed life.”
``I want to protect this child from misfortune when disaster seems to befall him at various points in his long life.''
This is my wish.
Then, on the day of the Kamishi Festival, they entrust their wishes to the Hina dolls.
More than any love letter, when a Hina doll entrusted with passionate love looks at us with a gentle expression, it always warms my heart.
``We finally met again this year,'' are the words we say to the Hina dolls before we put them up every year.
Thank you again this year for a warm and happy time that I can't wait to see.
(Photography/editing: Kondo)