Army Community Service at Camp Zama, Japan, is hosting a walking tour of decorations for Hinamatsuri, or Girls’ Day, at nearby Zama Shrine on March 3, 2023. (Winifred Brown/U.S. Army)
Hundreds of ornate dolls will soon adorn the steps of a Shinto shrine near the U.S. Army’s headquarters in Japan.
Army Community Service at Camp Zama is hosting a walking tour of decorations for Hinamatsuri, or Girls’ Day, at nearby Zama Shrine on March 3.
Similar Hina dolls will be displayed that day at homes across Japan as the country wishes for the health and happiness of their daughters.
Attendees will meet at the Camp Zama Community Recreation Center at 10 a.m. and walk together to the off-base shrine.
About 40 people from Camp Zama attended the free event last year, and ACS is expecting a similar turnout this year, tour coordinator Maiki Mayhew said by email Feb. 15.
In the Shinto religion, Hina dolls are believed to contain a soul. Rather than toss out old dolls, they’re donated to shrines for safekeeping and sometimes undergo a ritual funeral called ningyo kuyo.
The hundreds of dolls in Zama Shrine’s collection are exhibited annually on a vibrant red backdrop and include emperors and empresses as well as their courtiers wearing traditional multi-layered robes which are modeled after royalty from the Heian period.
Zama Shrine’s collection of Hina dolls will span approximately 77 steps leading to the shrine’s main building, making this a must-see event to enjoy the traditional artistry of Hinamatsuri.
Army Community Service at Camp Zama, Japan, is hosting a walking tour of decorations for Hinamatsuri, or Girls’ Day, at nearby Zama Shrine on March 3, 2023. (Noriko Kudo/U.S. Army)
On the QT
Directions: Zama Shrine is about a 6-minute walk from Camp Zama’s Gate 1.
Times: The walking tour is 10 a.m. March 3; however, the shrine’s Hinamatsuri display can be viewed between 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. March 2-3 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 4.
Costs: Free
Food: Coffee is sold at a small café on the shrine’s grounds.
Information: Online: zamajinja.or.jp
