Hina matsuri

　Today is Hinamatsuri, Girls’ Festival. Every year on 3 March, dolls are displayed to wish for the healthy growth and happy marriage of girls. It was believed that seasonal milestones were prone to evil spirits, so the festival was held to ward off evil spirits and pray for happiness. Today, fewer and fewer households decorate their homes, but in the lobby of the Hotel Okura next to Kyoto City Hall, a seven-tiered decoration of 15 dolls is displayed, attracting passers-by to stop and look.
　The topmost represents the Emperor and Empress. It is a prayer that, like the Emperor and Empress, who are the ideal image of a married couple.
　On the next tier are the three court ladies, called sannin kanjo. Below them is a band of five beautiful boys called the Goninbayashi. The next stage is the Zuijin, the military officers who protect the court, and the Shicho, the attendants who perform various chores for the emperor when he goes out.