Awashima jinja is a shrine for women and is famous for its enormous
collection of dolls. There are a lot of Japanese superstitions about
dolls, and a good number of people in Japan seem to find them a little
mysterious or frightening, believing that they have souls or the power
to influence human lives. There are a number of shrines and festivals
wherein people dispose of their old dolls and toys - they feel that if
they just threw them in the garbage, the dolls' souls might come back to
haunt them like ghosts.
Awashima jinja is mainly for hina ningyo, dolls that are given to
young girls to be displayed every year on Girl's Day, March 3rd. The
festival dates back to 1687 and is a time for praying for the health and
happiness of a family's daughters. Awashima jinja's collection is not
limited to hina ningyo, however. There are literally thousands of dolls
here, and an even greater number of sculptures, figurines, carvings, and
statues. You'll find tanuki, maneki neko, daruma, frogs, yoshitsune,
shichi fukujin, and many more.
Every year on March 3rd, Awashima jinja is home to a doll festival
called nagashi bina, in which boatloads of hina ningyo are launched into
the ocean. As the boats are rocked by the waves, the dolls fall
overboard and sink into the ocean. It is believed that the dolls will
take away the sicknesses and bad luck afflicting their former owners,
and the ritual has become very popular.
