In Kurashiki City’s Mizushima area, the 22nd Mizushima Hina Doll Tour was held from February 22 to March 9, 2025, transforming the entire area for the Hina Doll Festival.
During the same period, to coincide with the Mizushima Hina Doll Tour, the Mizushima Rinkai Railway operated a Hina train decorated with handmade Hina dolls created by local preschoolers, making four round trips a day.
I went to see the Hina train’s departure ceremony, where handmade dolls lovingly made by the children welcomed visitors, as well as Hina dolls at three nearby locations.
The information presented here was accurate when this article was published in February 2025. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What is the Hina train?
This year (2025) marks the 22nd Mizushima Hina Doll Tour.
As part of the event, a Mizushima Rinkai Railway train decorated with handmade Hina dolls created by children at Daisan Fukuda Certified Childcare Center will be in service.
The Hina train project originally began in 2012, when the Mizushima Okamisan-kai, organizers of the Mizushima Hina Doll Tour, teamed up with the Mizushima Rinkai Railway to help energize the local community.
It is held so people can enjoy the Hina dolls while traveling by train.
Hina train departure ceremony
At 11:07 a.m. on Saturday, February 22, 2025, a Hina train departure ceremony was held before the train left Mizushima Station on the Mizushima Rinkai Railway.
At the ceremony, the Mizushima Elementary School Suisou Club performed at the station entrance, followed by a drum corps performance by children from Daisan Fukuda Certified Childcare Center.
Although the Mizushima Elementary School Suisou Club has only a few members, they all practiced hard for this day's performance and gave it their all, I was told.
Several adults also performed alongside the children to support them.
They must have been nervous performing in front of such a large crowd, but you could tell how hard they were trying.
In fact, it was snowing heavily until just before the performances began, and it was extremely cold, but before we knew it, the skies had cleared. Perhaps it was the power of the children's performances.
After that performance, the children from Daisan Fukuda Certified Childcare Center gave a drum corps performance.
Each child played a drum, and surprisingly, rather than everyone playing the same way, they divided into groups of several and performed in a call-and-response style.
Watching them perform while keeping their eyes firmly on their conductor was endearing. Thinking about how much they must have practiced up to this day made me want to cheer them on and say, “Keep it up!”
After the children's performance ended, we headed to the station platform on the second floor.
Until it was time for the train to depart, the children once again livened up the atmosphere with a fanfare and songs.
Just before the train departed, they burst a paper ball, and everyone waved goodbye to the Hina train as it began to move at the signal, “All aboard!”
The train decorated with Hina dolls runs four round trips every day during the Hina Festival period.
Ride the Mizushima Rinkai Railway and go see them! 1: Mizushima Children's Center
Here are three facilities in the Mizushima area where Hina dolls are displayed and which are within walking distance of a station.
The first is Mizushima Children's Center, near Sakae Station. The center displays handmade Hina dolls created by children at Seiwa Nursery School, along with a seven-tier Hina doll display.
The handmade dolls included some designed to sit on a table and others to hang on a wall.
Hina dolls filled the tables and walls, creating a very festive space.
Ride the Mizushima Rinkai Railway and go see them! 2: Mizushima Community Center
The second is Mizushima Community Center, next to Mizushima Children's Center, which I introduced earlier.
Mizushima Community Center displays handmade Hina dolls created by children at Daisan Fukuda Kindergarten, a seven-tier Hina doll display, and handmade works by community center groups.
Each of the Hina dolls handmade by the children at Daisan Fukuda Kindergarten had slightly different decorations.
You can see the teachers' creativity as well as the children's.
There were also Hina dolls made from tatami-beri (decorative tatami edging) and denim, both Kurashiki specialties.
These works were made by people who attended a class held at Mizushima Community Center.
Ride the Mizushima Rinkai Railway and go see them! 3: Kurashiki City Environmental Exchange Square Mizushima Ai-ai Salon
The third is Kurashiki City Environmental Exchange Square Mizushima Ai-ai Salon, located in front of Mizushima Station.
Here, handmade Hina dolls made by the children of Kozakura Nursery School and seven-tiered Hina doll displays are on exhibit.
Four seven-tiered Hina doll displays are on exhibit.
On the opposite side, many handmade Hina dolls made by the children are there to greet you.
You can picture the children working hard to make these Hina dolls, too.
From the Writer
Mizushima Hina Doll Tour is known for displaying many hina dolls handmade by local children.
Gorgeous, elaborate hina dolls are lovely, but it’s also fun to enjoy hina dolls handmade by local children. They’re heartwarming to look at.
Mizushima Hina Doll Tour also holds a stamp rally. Of course, the three facilities introduced here are also part of the stamp rally.
Why not take the Mizushima Rinkai Railway to Mizushima and enjoy the hina dolls handmade by children?
Hina Doll Train Departure Ceremony (held February 22, 2025) — Enjoy the Hina Doll Festival in Mizushima: Information
| Name | Hina Doll Train Departure Ceremony (held February 22, 2025) — Enjoy the Hina Doll Festival in Mizushima |
|---|---|
| Dates | Saturday, February 22–Sunday, March 9, 2025 |
| Admission (tax included) | Free admission (Admission to the Shokoku Folk Museum is free with a flyer) |
| Website | 22nd Kurashiki Hina Doll Tour |
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