A Different Kind of Hina Matsuri (Part 1)

In late March, my husband and I spent a few days visiting the Asuka area in Nara. Unfortunately, the weather was cold, wet, and windy, forcing us to rethink our plans. As a result, we ending up stopping by an information booth in the small town of Takatori. High on the list of of recommended attractions was a visit to Tsubosaka Temple, a Buddhist temple built in 717 AD. Although the famous cherry trees were yet to bloom, we decided to see what there was to see. (Thankfully, the rain stopped just as we arrived.)

Well, the very first building we passed invited us to step inside to view their Hina Matsuri exhibition and so we did. WOW! I have never seen so many hina matsuri dolls in one place! We spent some time admiring the doll display but, as we moved towards the back, we began noticing unusual things here and there...

(More photos of what makes this a different kind of Hina Matsuri in the next post.)

Hina Matsuri Display, Tsubosaka Temple, Nara (There are two separate rows of dolls displayed with dolls set up on both sides. The area with the Buddhist statues in the back is also completely filled with dolls—some perched on the statues themselves. So, in fact, there are many, many more dolls here than can be seen in the photo.)

Hina Matsuri Display, Tsubosaka Temple, Nara

Hina Matsuri Display, Tsubosaka Temple, Nara (The 2025 Osaka Expo mascot has joined the fun!)

Hina Matsuri Display, Tsubosaka Temple, Nara (Not sure what it is but it made me laugh!)