«This year, Ukrainian music lovers will encounter the unusual and captivating world of Japanese national music – the ensemble of Japanese Imperial Court Music 'Gagaku' is coming to Ukraine. In Kyiv, the concert will take place on March 13 at the National Opera of Ukraine, and in Odesa on March 15. 'Gagaku' is traditional music performed at ceremonies and festive events of the imperial court. The word 'gagaku' itself comes from Chinese, where it denoted ancient ritual music performed by a large orchestra consisting of numerous instruments, including stone bells, bronze bells, various wind and percussion instruments. The spirit of 'gagaku' is carefully preserved by modern performers, many of whom are direct descendants of musicians who performed gagaku back in the 8th century.
Annual Japanese film festivals in Ukraine have become a tradition. This year, such a festival will take place in March-April: from March 23-27, Japanese films will be shown in Kyiv, and from April 5-9, the festival will be held in Dnipropetrovsk.
The Embassy of Japan in Ukraine conducts ongoing cultural and informational work aimed at introducing our compatriots to Japan's history, unique culture, and customs. Such events include ongoing schools of ikebana and origami. Classes are held regularly once every two months. The ikebana school is led by Angela Lobastova, a student of the well-known specialist in this field, Mrs. Yamada Midori. All classes are free, only prior registration is required.
Anyone interested in Japan can use the services of the Embassy of Japan library. Here you will find periodicals and fiction, audio and video cassettes, textbooks and encyclopedias. There are materials in Japanese, English, and Russian. Through satellite television, there is an opportunity to watch Japanese TV.
We are always glad to see visitors; all our compatriots are interested in the mysterious world of Japanese culture. The staff of the cultural and information department are happy to answer any questions, advise where to find the information the visitor is interested in, and organize thematic exhibitions dedicated to national Japanese holidays. Getting acquainted with national customs and traditions is an opportunity to at least slightly touch the mystery of the Japanese national character.
It is said that modern Japan has about 800 national holidays a year. Neither military defeat nor the six-year American occupation could disrupt the Japanese way of life. Rapid changes in the economy have also not shaken their loyalty to ancient traditions, the essence of which is best manifested in a careful attitude towards national holidays.
There are state holidays – the Emperor's Birthday, National Foundation Day, Constitution Day. Officially celebrated are Sports Day, Culture Day, Labor Thanksgiving Day, Children's Day, Respect for the Aged Day, Coming of Age Day, Vernal Equinox Day, Autumnal Equinox Day, etc. Fifteen national holidays are supplemented by nationwide religious ones – Buddhist and Shinto. In addition, each prefecture, city, or village has its own traditional festivals 'matsuri' – flower viewing of plum and cherry blossoms, irises and chrysanthemums, festivals of floats and kites, processions of 'lions' and 'evil spirits,' costume reenactments of famous battles. On these days, people wear national clothing, eat only traditional dishes, and dance to folk music.
Love for ancient traditions is instilled in Japanese people from childhood. It is no coincidence that children's festivals are so popular in Japan. Our story today is about one of them – Hina Matsuri (Girls' Festival).
Every year on March 3, all of Japan celebrates Girls' Festival, or Doll Festival. On the eve of this day, in homes where there are daughters, a tiered stand with doll figures and miniature toys is set up in the guest room. The dolls can be very different – expensive or quite simple, but they all depict characters of the imperial court of the Heian period. At the very top, against a screen, the most beautiful dolls are placed, representing the Emperor and Empress in luxurious brocade costumes. On the second and third tiers, the palace retainers are placed. There are court ladies, ministers, musicians, servants. At the bottom are palanquins, carts, furniture, lacquerware, and other necessary palace utensils. All this splendor is combined with lanterns and miniature trees with paper festoons. Sometimes fashion trends appear in rather unusual ways – actress dolls or baseball players are introduced into the imperial entourage...
The origin of this festival dates back to very ancient times. Dolls in Japan are not just children's playthings, but primarily objects for viewing, for admiring. They often have religious and even mystical significance. Among the dolls that adorn many Japanese homes today, one can find characters from Noh and Kabuki theaters, court ladies of the refined Heian period dressed in ceremonial costumes 'junihitoe' (a twelve-layer gown!), nobles, famous warriors, poets, philosophers...
In ancient Japan, dolls were not toys but symbolic representations of gods or people. The Japanese believed in dolls, in their ability to bring good to people, ward off evil forces, illnesses, and natural disasters, and protect peace and tranquility in the home. There was even a ritual of purification from diseases and evil forces using straw or paper dolls. During the ritual, a person would blow on the doll and then rub it over their body so that all impurities of soul and body would transfer to the figurine. Then the doll was thrown into a nearby river or stream: it was believed that all illnesses and misfortunes would float away with it. This ritual was especially often used to preserve a child's health.
At first, the dolls were made of paper, then they began to be made from clay and wood, and they were no longer thrown away but stored at home on shelves. Such dolls for Hina Matsuri are the best gift for a family where a girl is born. Sometimes these are real works of art, passed down from generation to generation, very expensive because they are made by hand from expensive materials, and many masters and their families keep the secrets of production. Many unique doll-making traditions in Japan are cherished and preserved to this day. One master makes the head and body from wood, another dresses the doll in a festive kimono, a third does the hairstyle...
The manufacturing process is long and complex, but the result is a true work of art. Doll exhibitions have become a form of competition among masters, the best of whom are awarded the highest title in Japan, 'Living National Treasure'. Sometimes a set of dolls and accessories is a significant part of a bride's dowry and becomes one of the most precious family heirlooms.
Initially, the festival was celebrated only at court and among the military class, but soon it quickly spread among the common people. Hina Matsuri became a national holiday in the 18th century. It owes much of its popularity to the shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty, Yoshimune, who had many daughters. Around that time, the custom of organizing exhibitions of richly dressed dolls depicting the life of the imperial court in homes where there were girls was added.
Hina Matsuri is a festival of 'eternal femininity' that all girls aged seven to fifteen love very much. On this day, girls with their mothers change their women's home clothes into festive kimonos, solemn and ceremonial like real ladies, visit each other, give and receive presents, treat themselves to special sweets, and admire the doll exhibition. These dolls are never played with – they are cherished and passed down from mother to daughter. The dolls are displayed until March 3, and then carefully packed away until the next year. And so that little capricious girls don't protest that the holiday is over, there is a belief: if you don't put the dolls away in time, the girl will not get married for a long time.
In addition to pleasure, the festival also has an educational value. In a playful, relaxed form, girls are taught the rules of good etiquette, the concept of character traits that a woman should possess, the ability to treat valuable things with care, restraining their desires and whims.
The Girls' Festival perfectly combines wonderful play, a poetic perception of the world, and traditional upbringing. And the fabulously exquisite Japanese dolls travel around the world. These amazing creations of Japanese masters can tell foreign audiences a great deal about their people, its history and character.
In my childhood, I had a friend – a gray kitty-cat. And it didn't matter that he was plush and stuffed with sawdust. He sat with me at the table when I didn't want to eat oatmeal. I put him under my pillow at night. I took him with me when we went to visit my grandmother at Easter. Cute, simple toys, warm traditional holidays... Now my niece dreams of a busty Barbie and eagerly awaits school Halloween. Many experts believe that the roots of Japan's 'economic miracle' lie in the Land of the Rising Sun's preservation of its national way of life. It's time for us to think too: aren't we too hasty to dissolve into the virtual world of 'universal values'?
The editors thank the staff of the Japanese Embassy for their assistance in preparing the material.