Shimogamo jinja, Hinamatsuri Part II

Hi! It’s been a while since I updated the blog. I’ve been busy looking for classes and a part time job here in Japan 🙂

Today I’m writing about Shimogamo Shrine, located in Kyoto (near to Demachiyanagi station). I went to this shrine on 3rd March to see the Hinamatsuri (Doll festival/ Gils day) event called Nagashi-bina. It consists  of putting a doll in the river to flow, in this case in the Mitarashi river.

There’s a park before reaching the shrine.

The shrine itself and the garden area are really beautiful. I especially like the red bridge over the river ❤

The first thing in the event was the Junihitoe (“twelve-layer robe”) dressing process. The lady who got to play the “hina” (empress) in the ceremony was dressed by some assistants like they used to do at the Heian era. It’s a very complex way to wear a kimono that only the court ladies used to use. I guess it is really heavy as well 😐

 

Once the “empress” was dressed, she joined the “emperor” and the ceremony started. They were the first ones to place the dolls in the river to flow. After them everybody else does the same. To participate you have to buy the dolls but they aren’t expensive (500¥ / 4€ approx.), and you get some sweets too, so it’s fine~ 😛

These are the paper dolls.

Here I’m placing the dolls in the river 🙂

 

Everything was so cool and pretty but there’s one thing I have to say: TOO MANY PEOPLE! 👿  I couldn’t even see the empress place the dolls in the river because there were too many people trying to see and taking photos 😦 Even the TV was there filming the event..

This is me stretching my arm trying to take a decent picture…*impossible*

Before going back home I went to one of the sub-shrines of Shimogamo jinja called Kawai jinja. Here you can prey for matchmaking, an easy delivery, children’s healthy growth, and beauty. To let the gods know your beauty related wish you can paint a “kagami-ema” (a wooden plaque) with the shape of a face reflected in a mirror. The normal ema at other shrines are not as cute as this, so it has become very popular among women.

This is the ema I painted haha. They lend you colored pencils to paint it and a marker to write your wish in the back.

And this is all for today, I hope you liked the post and thanks for reading! ❤