Jump to content

Tickets

In Celebration of the Japanese Doll Festival

  • Image of "Amagatsu Doll Edo period, 19th century"

    Amagatsu Doll
    Edo period, 19th century

    Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Room 14
    February 10, 2026 (Tue) - March 22, 2026 (Sun)

    Japanese families celebrate the Doll Festival on March 3, during which they pray for the health and happiness of their daughters. The festival has its roots in ancient rituals in which people transferred their sins and spiritual impurities to dolls and cast them into rivers.

    During the festival, families display elaborate dolls called hina in their homes, arranging them to depict aristocratic wedding ceremonies on a miniature scale. These hina dolls became popular during the Edo period (1603–1868) among a wide range of social classes. This exhibition presents historic dolls from the Edo period and beyond, highlighting the Japanese tradition of appreciating small and adorable yet meticulously crafted objects.

    List of Exhibits

Major works in this exhibition

* Works listed below are in the TNM Collection unless otherwise indicated.

Dresser, Edo period, ca. 1850 (Gift of Mrs. Mitani Tei)

"Imperial Palace" Doll, Edo period, 19th century

Amagatsu Doll, Edo period, 19th century

Miniature Palace for Hina Dolls, Edo period, ca. 1850 (Gift of Mrs. Mitani Tei)

Hina Dolls with Ivory Heads, Edo period, ca. 1850 (Gift of Mrs. Mitani Tei)

Hina Dolls (Ryūkyū Type), Second Shō dynasty–Meiji era, 19th century,(Gift of Mr. Nishizawa Kōichi)

 

Exhibitions