The other day I went to Kyoto and visited Tokichika Yamashina, the 30th successor of the Iemoto school of Kinmondo Yamashina School.

Kyoto Hina dolls made in Kyoto are called "Kyoto Hina". They are usually displayed after the first day of spring and put away after March 3rd, but some houses display them until the Doll's Festival of the lunar calendar, which means April. The Yamashina House will be holding a hina doll exhibition starting April 3st, and we were able to see their wonderful collection of hina dolls.

The Yamashina family is descended from the Fujiwara Kita family, and began with Fujiwara Jitsunori (1150-1227), a court noble from the late Heian period to the early Kamakura period.It is said that the Emperor Goshirakawa granted Yamashina Shingosho and its surrounding area as his fiefdom, and that it was passed down from generation to generation, becoming the origin of the family name.In addition to holding important positions in the Imperial Court, such as Dainagon, Chunagon, and Councillors, from the Nanbokucho period onwards, the positions of Kurakami and Mizushisho Betto were inherited, and they managed the finances of the Imperial Court.In addition, as a household chore for a court noble, he prepares and wears costumes.Kimondo Yamashina styleHe also served as a close aide to successive emperors with his knowledge, such as teaching the shō of gagaku.Kimondo is a technique and way of thinking that has been passed down since ancient times regarding how to wear costumes for court nobles and samurai families.

Genpoin is located in the Okazaki area, which prospered as a villa area for aristocrats during the Heian period.As you enter from Shirakawa-dori, you will find yourself in a quiet residential area overlooking the 36 peaks of Higashiyama, as if time has stopped. ``Count Yamashina's Residence Genpoin'' stands here.

It was built in 1920 by Count Tokimasa Yamashina in Okazaki, and will celebrate its 2020th anniversary in 100.``Genpoin'' is an inn where you can spend an elegant time while experiencing court culture in a mansion where the history and tradition of the Yamashina family is still alive.

A private space with only 500 rooms in a 4-square-foot mansion with a strolling garden.Lectures on court culture, lessons, and exhibitions are held regularly in the large hall.

We asked Ms. Yamashina about the history of hina dolls.

There are two origins of Hina dolls. One is the ``chick play'' enjoyed by young girls of the Heian period aristocracy, and the other is the exorcism of Sangatsukami.

"Hina-asobi" also appears in "The Tale of Genji." There is also a record that in the mid-12th century, the still young Emperor Konoe and his mistress, Fujiwara Tako, played ``Hina-asobi,'' a children's game that involved dollhouses with various furniture. That seems to be the case. Fragmentary records of playing with chicks can be found in the diaries of court nobles from the Muromachi period, and it appears that it was a game that could be played regardless of the season.

On the other hand, according to ``Annual Events of the Time'' written by Emperor Go-Mizunoo in the early Edo period, on the day of March Dragon, the Abe family, an onmyoji, presented a doll called Ningyo, a small square piece of kneaded silk. It is said that a hole was made in the middle of the cloth, then the cloth was folded in half and tied to resemble a garment. Place this by your bedside and hand it over to the Onmyoji on the next day of the Snake.

Going back even further, Amagatsu and Houko were created as scapegoats to protect children from misfortune from the Heian period. These were still used ceremonially by daimyo families even into the Edo period. It is highly likely that the Sangatsu Kamishi doll that I introduced earlier was a cross-shaped doll similar to this one.

Also on display was a woodblock print of the National Treasure Tale of Genji picture scroll from "The Tale of Genji," which is a hot topic in this year's taiga drama. These are reproductions made with exquisite woodblock prints produced before the war and immediately after the war, making them valuable. In terms of expression, the original text itself is not written in Murasaki Shikibu characters (emakis were created at the end of the Heian period), and the woodblock version is said to be faithful to the original text.

Four pairs of Hina dolls are displayed in the alcove. Yushoku Hina is a faithful reproduction of the costumes worn by noble couples, and the ``aristocratic hina dolls'' used in the imperial court, court nobles, and feudal lords were also displayed. It seems that the court nobles do not decorate the dolls with tiers, but instead lay them flat as objects to play with. Depending on the costumes they wear, they are called ``Sokutai Hina'', ``Naogi Hina'', ``Konaoi Hina'', and ``Karigi Hina''. For female Hina dolls, ``Sokutai Hina'' are dressed in ``Five Clothes and Karagi (Junihitoe)'', and ``Naoi Hina'' and below are dressed in a kojo. At that time, the use of 12 hitoes was limited to the imperial court, and the formal attire of ordinary wives of court nobles was a kojo.

The hanging scroll was sponsored by Shigenari Ohara, a court noble in the late Edo period, and includes a picture of Yusoku Hina (in sokutai and kojo) and a waka poem.

``Three thousand years of folded peach flower caps are sworn over the eyebrows of willows, with the support of Shigenari, the third rank of the highest rank.''

This year, the Kamishi Festival (3/3 of the lunar calendar) falls on 4/11, so for the past few years the hina doll exhibition has been held on the lunar calendar when cherry blossoms and peaches are in bloom.

Kyoto is one of the most popular cultural cities in Japan. Although it is a valuable place with a sense of history, it is difficult to relax no matter where you go due to the large number of foreign tourists.

A moment where you can experience court culture in a mansion steeped in history and tradition, something you can never experience in Tokyo. I thought that this experience would be a good opportunity to remember that I am Japanese and that there were various behind-the-scenes stories and people who protected them throughout our long history.

Although it is only for a short period of time from April 4st to 1th, if you have a chance to go to Kyoto, please stop by. (Reservations required from the “Hina Doll Exhibition 14 reservation form” below)