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Hinamatsuri, also called Doll's Day or Girls' Day, is a religious holiday in Japan, celebrated on 3 March of each year. Platforms covered with a red carpet–material are used to display a set of ornamental dolls representing the Emperor, Empress, attendants, and musicians in traditional court dress of the Heian period.

Traditionally, the hina doll is believed to protect the young girls in the family by carrying their illnesses and misfortunes for them. Most houses will thus at least have a pair of male and female dolls in storage.

Setsubun’ is the last day of winter and spring starts from the next day and it is normally February 3rd. This is based on the lunar calendar and the date can be 2nd or 4th of February depending on the year.

It is believed that a monster called ‘oni’ visits your home in the evening of ‘Setsubun’. People throw (soy) beans outside of the house towards ‘oni’ saying ‘Oni wa soto! (the monster should stay outside!)’ This is because ‘oni’ actually represents something eval within your spirit and mind and beans are believed to purify it. Therefore, people also throw them inside of the house saying ‘Fuku wa uchi! (happiness should stay inside!)’

After that, you eat the same number of beans as your age of the year to wish your health and happiness for the year. People eat other things too depending on the regions. For example, it is famous that people eat a type of sushi roll called ‘Ehomaki’ in Osaka area.

This event is also held in many famous Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. For example, the celebrities throw beans at ‘Sensoji’ in Asakusa, Tokyo and ‘Yasaka Jinja’ in Gion, Kyoto and you can watch it on TV as well.

[Introduction about Japanese Culture - Shichi-Go-San(Seven-Five-Three)]

Shichi-Go-San is a Japanese traditional festival for 3 and 7 year old girls, and 3 and 5 year old boys held annually on 15th November. Usually parents visit a neighborhood shrine with their 3, 5, and 7 year old children to pray for their health and well-being.

The ages 3, 5, and 7 are important in Japanese tradition. It is consistent with their philosophy of odd numbers being lucky. In the past, children were susceptible to diseases and were thus considered to be children of the Gods till age 7. The practice of observing Shichi-Go-San began to mark the important milestones in a child’s development. In older times, the three ages meant an important milestone for children. At 3, boys and girls could begin to grow their hair out. At 5, the boys could begin wearing a hakama. And girls, at 7, could wear an obi for the first time.

In modern times, the practices have changed. Families visit a shrine, with the children dressed up in traditional clothes. 5 year old girls wear a kimono with shoulder tucks and no obi with a hifu (a vest worn over the kimono) while 7 year old girls wear a full traditional Kimono. 5 year old boys wear a hakama and a long haori (jacket). Prayers are offered at the shrine and commemorative photos are taken.

Children are given chitose-ame (thousand year candy) in a bag decorated with turtles and cranes. Chitose-ame is a long, thin red-and-white candy. Both turtles and cranes are symbols of longevity. The length of the candy also indicates long life for the child, while the colours red and white (auspicious colours in Japan) are to seek blessings from the Gods.

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Kyoto, Gion district

A maiko (舞妓) is an apprentice geisha in Kyoto and Western Japan. Their jobs consist of performing songs, dances, and playing the or other traditional Japanese instruments for visitors during banquets and parties, known as .

Their outfit is more playful and eye catching than that of a geisha signifying immaturity and childlike innocence. Maiko wear a colorful furisode (kimono with traipsing sleeves) while geisha wear short sleeves and muted colors.

Maiko often only paint their bottom lip, wear their own hair hair in an elaborate updo with expensive hair ornaments and a red kerchief hidden in the back. Geisha generally wear lace front wigs.

*Amazing facts of GANESHA*
Did you know there are 250 temples of Ganesha in Japan.
In Japan, Ganesha is known as 'Kangiten', the God of fortune and the harbinger of happiness, prosperity and good.

An Oxford publication claims that Ganesha was worshipped in the early days in Central Asia and other parts of the globe.
Ganesha statues have been found in Afghanistan, Iran, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Mongolia, Japan, Indonesia, Brunei, Bulgaria, Mexico and other Latin American countries.
It means the cult of Ganesha was prevelant all over the world in ancient times.

*Ganesha in Europe, Canada and the USA*
Ganesha's idol and paintings are exhibited in all the important museums and art galleries of all the European countries especially in the UK, Germany, France and Switzerland.
Ganesha idols and paintings(as goodluck charm) are also present in thousands of houses/offices of successful business/writers/artists in all the European countries and in Canada and the USA. Recently a figure of Ganesha was unearthed in a village near Sofia, Bulgaria. Like Indians, the Romans worshipped Ganesha before any work was begun.

*Irish believe in Ganesha luck.*
The embassy of Ireland at New Delhi became the first European embassy to invoke the blessings of Ganesha by installing a statue of Ganesha at the main entrance of the embassy.

*Silicon Valley in USA selects Ganesha as the presiding Deity of cyberspace technology *
“Ganesha is the God of knowledge and Ganesha's vehicle is the mouse and, as you know, for software engineers the mouse is the vehicle that they use to take their ideas and innovations from one place to the other.” Hence it was decided by the computer industry association to select Ganesha as the presiding Deity of Silicon Valley.

*Ganesha on Greek coin.*
Early images of an elephant headed Deity, including those on an Indo-Greek coin and elsewhere, dating between the first and third centuries BC, represent Ganesha as the demi God Vinayaka.

*Indonesia Currency notes.*
One of the Indonesian currency notes carries the picture of Ganesha.

*Vedic origin of Ganesha.*
10,000 year old secret of success.
Devotees of Ganesha make reference to his Vedic origin which is around 10,000 years old to push his antecedents back in time. The Vedas have invoked him as 'namo Ganebhyo Ganapati' (Yajurveda, 16/25), or remover of obstacles, Ganapati, we salute you. The Mahabharata has elaborated on his personal appearance and Upanishads on his immense power. “Scholars say artifacts from excavations in Luristan and Harappa and an old Indo-Greek coin from Hermaeus, present images that remarkably resemble Ganesha”. (“Robert Brown in his Book “Ganesha: Studies of an Asian God”:State University of New York Albany). ✌😇

Bappa made of japanese charecter 日光 Nikko
Courtesy: Vaibhav shinde

A torii is a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the profane to the sacred .The presence of a torii at the entrance is usually the simplest way to identify Shinto shrines, and a small torii icon represents them on Japanese road maps.

They are however a common sight at Japanese Buddhist temples too, where they stand at the entrance of the temple's own shrine, called chinjusha and are usually very small.

Little about TERUTERUBOZU

A teru teru bōzu is a small traditional handmade doll made of white paper or cloth that Japanese farmers began hanging outside of their window by a string. In shape and construction they are essentially identical to ghost dolls, such as those made at Halloween.
Hung under the eaves of the house, the teru teru bozu even has an accompanying song, usually sung by children as the doll is being made, acting as a chant to invoke sunny skies the following day.