The dolls from Japan were over two-feet tall and were beautifully crafted with great detail.  One of those details was to give the dolls underwear, which was considered more appropriate for these Japanese “diplomats!!”  The dolls from the US were sent to arrive for the Japanese doll festival (March 3) and the Japanese dolls were sent to arrive in the US in time for Christmas.  I thought when I saw the dolls in San Francisco that the doll represents the innocence of the child that plays with it and definitely represents peace.  Interestingly, along with many other gifts, the Japanese had given a collection of dolls to the government of the United States through Commodore Perry after signing of the Peace and Amity Treaty in 1854. 

The Doll Festival (Hina Matsuri) starts March 1st and goes to March 4th each year.  The girl festival is on March 3rd, when the birth of girls is celebrated, and wishes are expressed for their future happiness.  The original form of this custom was purifying oneself in water, but later paper dolls were used instead of people bathing themselves.  In the Edo period, paper dolls were turned into more sophisticated ones, now called Hina-ningyo (doll). 

Preparations for the Hina Matsuri begin early in each year for female children and adults in Japan.  Friends of mine in Nahari, Japan, where I visited in 2011, are very active in this preparation for the festival.  One reason they are so active is that there is a group in Nahari called Uranokai, which is very involved with historic building restoration and also maintaining old Japanese traditions.  Mrs. Takezaki, who was the hostess on my homestay in 2011, displays old bridal fineries and dolls every year in her house.  In addition to the dolls and fineries the women also show articles, which were the ceremonial exchange of engagement gifts used for the wedding.  This custom originated from an older custom of giving Kimono material. 

The bride's and groom's families by tradition still exchange betrothal gifts (Yuinou), which means good luck, and typically are food such as dry seaweed and bonito.  Gifts are wrapped and are always given in odd numbers of each, because the odd number is considered to be lucky from the heritage of Yin Yang from China.  

The groom's family also originally gave the bride's family betrothal money, which is almost equal to a months' salary.

Women in Nahari during February clean the old doll houses and display old dolls in the windows and rooms of their houses and stores.  They also make small articles for sale which helps for the working expenses of the Uranokai Association.  Mrs. Hamada, who is a member of the Uranokai, is an active participant in making miniature dolls and gave one to me and others in my group from her collection when we visited her restored historic house on a tour. 

Although not as big as the girl’s celebration there also is a celebration for boys.  May 5th is called "Kodomo no hi" traditionally, and it is a celebration for young boys.  Many families that have boys of age 6 and under decorate a "Kabuto," which is a Samurai helmet or a "Gogatsu Ningyou," a Samurai doll.  These items are displayed during the boy’s festival.  It is believed that they protect boy's health and happiness.  Japanese also fly "Koinobori" outside of their houses.  These are big carp-shaped streamers on a long pole.  They also fly specially painted flags and many have their family crest (Kamon) on them. 

In the US, although we don’t have a special day set aside for our girls and boys, they certainly get a lot of attention and gifts on Christmas and their birthdays.  Dolls and doll houses are popular gifts for younger girls and so it was with pride and love that I gave one to my granddaughter, Jewel, to use in Maryland and one to use when she travels to the old Perry homestead in Rhode Island.  The Rhode Island dollhouse was built by my father and used by all of Jewel’s five great aunts and some of her cousins on the Perry side of the family.  I recently restored it for Jewel with love in hopes of future use when she visits Rhode Island. 

I don’t remember too much of my sisters' doll house when I was a kid and I certainly recall less of any dolls they had.  However, in the 1970s when I was putting insulation in the attic floor of our family home in Bristol, RI, I found the broken head of a “China” doll.  I thought one of my sisters had probably cried when the head broke, but then pushed the pieces into a crack of the wide floorboards and there they stayed for many decades.  I glued the head together and realized how fragile the head was and imagined how many tears were shed by other girls unfortunate enough to break the heads.  After gluing, I placed the head in a little knick-knack shelf in the kitchen and there it has remained for many years.  None of my five sisters has ever identified that the doll was hers so maybe it predates them and belong to one of our ancestors like Levi De Wolf’s daughter, Abigail.  But alas, I think my imagination is working overtime!! 

In March 2013, while visiting my sister Cecilia in Bristol, RI, I learned of a woman, Patty Pinskey, who lives in Bristol and makes dolls with ceramic heads and even give classes for other doll makers.  After viewing her many rooms filled with supplies and dolls in all stages of assembly with my wife and sister, she showed us her kiln room.  This is the room where the clay heads that she makes with her own molds, are baked dry in one of four different kilns until they are one half their original size.  After getting a full tour and a better appreciation of doll making, we purchased a doll, which was a German character doll reproduction with a bisque head, German glass eyes, modern wig, and a toddler composition body.  We also were given a gift of a beautiful doll made by Mrs. Pinskey, which was an antique reproduction of a rare German “Heubach” character doll with a China painted bisque head and with a composition body that she had created. 

Although the Japanese seem to emphasize, celebrate, and value the doll more than folks in most countries, dolls and doll houses are popular in all countries.  Dolls are certainly an item that knows no territorial boundaries and are a symbol of love and friendship.  So, if you want to make a friend with an adult or see a young person smile, the next time you travel to a foreign country, pack a doll!!!!