A rare seven-layer platform doll set used to celebrate hinamatsuri, or Girls’ Day, in Japan is now on display at the Puppetry Art Center of Taipei, offering visitors an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of traditional Japanese culture.
Girls’ Day falls on March 3 in Japan and as part of the tradition, families display a set of ornamental dolls on platforms covered with red cloth as a symbol of good fortune for their daughters and for a lifetime of happiness in their marriage.
The doll set on display at the center was donated by Shou Kaori, who lived in Taiwan for more than 20 years before moving to Canada two years ago. The seven-layer doll set, which was part of Kaori’s family collection for more than 40 years, cost more than NT$350,000 and is considered rare even in Japan, as most families can only afford to display three to four layers of dolls.
PHOTO: LIN HSIANG-MEI, TAIPEI TIMES
“Ms Kaori donated the precious doll set to the center because she wanted to find the perfect place to display the collection and introduce traditional Japanese culture to more people,” said Annick Tsai (蔡怡君), operating manager of the center.
Tsai said the seven-layer doll set was displayed according to the traditional arrangement, with the top tier containing two dolls known as imperial dolls. Attendants, servants and musicians in the traditional court dress of Japan’s Heian period are displayed on the other layers.
According to the Japanese tradition, the dolls and other ornaments should be taken down from the platforms immediately after the festival, as Japanese believe that leaving the dolls out after March 4 will result in misfortune or late marriage for their daughters, she said.
The exhibition will run until Feb. 27. Visitors can also participate in a prize draw in which 10 visitors will be selected at the end of the exhibition and invited to make a Japanese-style lunchbox that will include foods traditionally eaten during the festival, such as sushi, clam soup and cakes made with cherry blossoms.
For more information, visit the center’s Web site at www.pact.org.tw.
NATIONAL SECURITY: Authorities are working to confirm the identities of the military personnel involved and investigating possible illegal conduct and regulatory violations Authorities are probing possible national security implications after Kinmen police and immigration officers on Sunday found a Chinese woman allegedly posing as a tourist while engaging in prostitution involving more than 10 military personnel. The woman, surnamed Chen (陳), has since been deported, authorities said, adding that investigators are still working to confirm the identities of those implicated, as the records only listed code names and aliases. The case stemmed from a report received by the Kinmen District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday last week from the Jinhu Precinct of the Kinmen County Police Bureau. On Sunday, police, along with the National Immigration
GLOBALGIVING: ‘ Caving to external pressure is not acceptable for an organization that has cultivated justice reform and human rights for 30 years,’ one NGO said A slew of non-government organizations (NGOs) have withdrawn from the GlobalGiving fundraising platform after it announced it would use “Chinese Taipei” instead of “Taiwan” from next month. The Taiwan Good Rice Association wrote on Facebook on Friday that it was informed on April 28 via a teleconference call of the change, which was made because the platform wanted to operate in China. Taiwan Good Rice is to terminate all cooperative relationships with GlobalGiving in response to the platform’s “unilateral and non-negotiable” decision to remove references to Taiwan, the NGO said. “Taiwan is in the official name of Taiwan Good Rice Association and the
STAY COOL: The HPA recommended that people stay hydrated, use air-conditioning or fans while indoors, wear loose-fitting clothes and walk in the shade while outdoors Employers must implement measures such as installing cooling equipment, and providing drinking water and rest breaks for outdoor workers starting from Monday next week, the Taipei Department of Labor said on Sunday. Employers who fail to comply could face fines of NT$30,000 to NT$300,000 under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (職業安全衛生法), the department said. Businesses in Taipei employing fewer than 100 workers, as well as registered self-employed workers with labor insurance coverage, could receive on-site assessments and guidance from occupational safety consultants to help them apply for central government subsidies to implement or improve heat-protection measures, it said. Under the Ministry of
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) yesterday briefed her party’s Central Standing Committee regarding her scheduled visit to the US between Monday next week and June 16, saying that her purpose would be to persuade the US that the Republic of China (ROC) Constitution was a “one China” constitution that would foster stable and peaceful cross-strait relations. The ROC Constitution is the most important defense for all Taiwanese citizens, as it upholds our democracy and has contributed to our robust economy, which aligns with international and US interests, she said. “We would not be troublemakers and drag the US under,”
RSS