Local children dressed in kimono enjoyed colorful, hanging hina doll ornaments on Tuesday ahead of an annual festival at the Hina no Yakata doll house in the Inatori district of Higashi-Izu, Shizuoka Prefecture.
The venue was decorated with ornaments such as lucky charms shaped like alfonsino, a local specialty, monkeys believed to ward off evil spirits and peaches.
The hanging of these ornaments is a tradition of the district believed to date back to the Edo period (1603-1867). The custom is said to have originated from handmade decorations stuffed with cotton scraps by local people who couldn't afford to buy expensive dolls, wishing for the healthy growth of girls.
The festival starts Wednesday and lasts through March 31.
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