Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-03
Dolls Chief Toy
on Girls Birthday.

cities around Christmas time. But dolls
are not used for the same purpose, or in
the same way, in Japan that they are in
the United States
When the dolls festival week comes
around the children. especially the girls.
are decked out in their very best clothes
and are taken to the toy shops. japanese
children in toy shops in the first week in
March behave very much as do American
children in toy shops just before Christ
mas. They wonder and admire, are ex-
cited and gay, beg for this; and for that,
and usually are INDUCED beyond the
ability of the fond mother to pay. The
dolls are bought and taken home. where
they are put away for the Sd, just as
Americans put away toys they buy until
Christmas morning.
Finally comes the great day The holl-
day is second only to New Year in i'm
portance. The family dons the very best
clothing in its wardrobe, and the cOmpli-
Gated ceremonial demands of the occa-
sion are strictly adhered to. The pretti-
est pictures and the most priced trlnkets
are put on display. At last everything is
ready for the celebration.
The dolls are brought out, the ones the
girls of the family have received on other
holidays, and those of the mother and
the grandmother and often of the great
grandmOthers. All the dolls are set out
OIl d SIleiI, IdlSeu line oil dItdi VI udlS. al
the back of the room farthest from the
street door. In every household, rich or
poor, the place of honor always is accorded
TO two dolls dressed to represent the en-
peror and empress If the family is well
to do these imperial images will be
dressed in the richest of clothing and
VIII be attended by dozens of dolls to rep
resent the mobiles and ladies of the Old
sacred court Of kyOto. Lower down and
ranging away from the imperial images
ar Of all he
new doll that has just made it's appear
ance in honor of the new birthday of the
youngest girl. Sometimes. when the par
ents are very poor, new dolls are made of
old ones, but there must be new doll.
y y
All during the day the dolls sit on their
dais, and before them are placed gifts
and offerings of food
Food and Drink and drink. Each doll
Offered to Dolls. and disna ~ r" lt.
tie stools of lacquer with little rice bowls
| teapots. cups, plates and trays. In rich
households these doll dishes are veritabe
| works of art. for which fabulous prices
| have been paid.
! And all day long the little girl whose
birthday it is sits before the dolls or
| their dais and looks at them. Her moth
er stands by and tells her of her sacred
duty of loyalty to the emperor and the
| empress, and teaches her the ceremony
| of the feas.. Little japanese girls, nc
doubt, laugh and chatter eXcitedly with
! the enjoyment of the occasion, but they
! do not handle the dolls. Oh, no! To take
| the emperor doll in her hands might in
| jure the sacred image, and that must
| never happen. Only grOwnups may be
| trusted to take the precious beauties ir
| their hands. They are fer httie girls
only to look at. And when the festival
| is over the dolls are all put away along
with their pretty clothes and their little
| tables and dishes. not to be seen again
until the next March comes around.
Thus it happens in Japan that little
| girls don't break their dolls playing with
! them, little boys never cut up their sis
| ters dolls to find what the ''stuffin' is
and the new doll the little girl gets today
will be handed down to her great-great-
grandchildren in the very clothes it wears
today.
| This festival is strictly a family affair
and is held so sacredly in reverence that
| few foreigners ever are invited to see the
| little girls feasting their eyes on their
dolls. But one part of the festival is
| open to the world. and that is the show
| in the streets of the toy shops.
| The toy shops and the doll shops bloom