Musha ningyo
Musha-ningyo or warrior dolls often used in the Boy's Day Festival
While the Hina-Matsouri was the display of the Imperial Court for the third month festival or Girl's Day Festival, the fifth month
festival, or Boy's Day Festival, celebrated Japan's military past with fierce displays of Musha-ningyo. Many of the musha-ningyo
represent specific persons whose exploits were well known. These dolls were displayed on tiers as were the Hina, but the
display's purpose was to focus on values of the Edo period including courage, self sacrifice, and loyalty. As with the
Hina-ningyo, these dolls were temporary homes to the spirits of those they represent as they protected and purified the homes.
From 1185 through 1868, Japan was controlled politically and culturally by the military. Warriors, the samurai as they were
known in the West, protecting Japan from the "barbarians", established values of the nation. The Edo period was a time of
extended peace marking a change in the role of the warrior in society. The warrior status gradually changed to a more
bureaucratic status as the nation evolved to a more economic based society as threats of invasions from "barbarians"
dissipated. While the actual role of the warrior changed dramatically, the stories of the exploits of the warriors of the past
became more popular and ingrained in the theater and literature as well as the festivals, in particular, Boys Day.
The Tango-no-sekku (Boys Day Festival) focused on the glories of the Samurai and the elimination of evil such as hunger,
poverty, sickness and misfortunes. As with the Girls Day Festival, Boys Day Festival traces back to China. The festival is held
on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar (about the end of May or beginning of June). Originally, the festival
focused on ridding the evil from the community. Mugwort and sweetflag iris were common herbs known in China for their
medicinal properties for centuries. These plants were collected and dolls made from the leaves were hung from doors to absorb
evil and protect the house and its inhabitants. Gradually, the festival added military aspects such as mock war games against
evil. Falling out of favor with the participants injuries, the war games were replaced with beating the leaves of the sweetflag on
the ground to drive out the evil spirits. By the beginning of the Edo period, the leaves were woven into helmets similar to the
warrior helmet. Gradually warrior characters embodying the values and reflecting the stories of the culture were added to the
festival. As the Edo period waned, the martial characters were replaced with characters of legend and fairy tales until May 5,
1948, after the defeat of Japan in World War II, when the Boys Day Festival was renamed Children's Day specifically to remove
reference to the military glories of old. The musha-ningyo (military dolls) of old had no place in the new festival.
Primary characters of the mush-ningyo:
While the Hina-Matsouri was the display of the Imperial Court for the third month festival or Girl's Day Festival, the fifth month
festival, or Boy's Day Festival, celebrated Japan's military past with fierce displays of Musha-ningyo. Many of the musha-ningyo
represent specific persons whose exploits were well known. These dolls were displayed on tiers as were the Hina, but the
display's purpose was to focus on values of the Edo period including courage, self sacrifice, and loyalty. As with the
Hina-ningyo, these dolls were temporary homes to the spirits of those they represent as they protected and purified the homes.
From 1185 through 1868, Japan was controlled politically and culturally by the military. Warriors, the samurai as they were
known in the West, protecting Japan from the "barbarians", established values of the nation. The Edo period was a time of
extended peace marking a change in the role of the warrior in society. The warrior status gradually changed to a more
bureaucratic status as the nation evolved to a more economic based society as threats of invasions from "barbarians"
dissipated. While the actual role of the warrior changed dramatically, the stories of the exploits of the warriors of the past
became more popular and ingrained in the theater and literature as well as the festivals, in particular, Boys Day.
The Tango-no-sekku (Boys Day Festival) focused on the glories of the Samurai and the elimination of evil such as hunger,
poverty, sickness and misfortunes. As with the Girls Day Festival, Boys Day Festival traces back to China. The festival is held
on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar (about the end of May or beginning of June). Originally, the festival
focused on ridding the evil from the community. Mugwort and sweetflag iris were common herbs known in China for their
medicinal properties for centuries. These plants were collected and dolls made from the leaves were hung from doors to absorb
evil and protect the house and its inhabitants. Gradually, the festival added military aspects such as mock war games against
evil. Falling out of favor with the participants injuries, the war games were replaced with beating the leaves of the sweetflag on
the ground to drive out the evil spirits. By the beginning of the Edo period, the leaves were woven into helmets similar to the
warrior helmet. Gradually warrior characters embodying the values and reflecting the stories of the culture were added to the
festival. As the Edo period waned, the martial characters were replaced with characters of legend and fairy tales until May 5,
1948, after the defeat of Japan in World War II, when the Boys Day Festival was renamed Children's Day specifically to remove
reference to the military glories of old. The musha-ningyo (military dolls) of old had no place in the new festival.
Primary characters of the mush-ningyo:
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