The 22nd Kurashiki Hina Doll Tour began on Saturday, February 22, 2025, across five districts of Kurashiki City (Kurashiki, Tamashima, Kojima, Mabi-Funao, and Mizushima). The sight of various hina dolls, from traditional dolls to creative ones made by children, brightening locations throughout the city warms the heart.
The Kurashiki Hina Doll Tour marks its 22nd year in 2025, but the Kojima Hina Doll Tour in Kojima began a little earlier, making this its 26th year.
The traditional hina doll tour in Kojima is about more than simply viewing hina dolls. I heard there would be an event where visitors could enjoy the tour with all five senses, so I went to Nozaki Family Villa Taikado with someone from Kojima.
The information presented here was current when this article was published in March 2025. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What is Nozaki Family Villa Taikado?
Nozaki Family Villa Taikado is a villa belonging to Nozaki's Historical Residence, a nationally designated Important Cultural Property. Built in 1896, it was mainly used to host and accommodate government and official guests, and as a meeting place.
Designated a National Tangible Cultural Property building in 2000, it is now used as a place to enjoy traditional Japanese culture, including Ohina Dosokai and Noh performances.
The hall has no pillars indoors, and when the fusuma sliding doors are removed, its floor can be covered with 100 tatami mats, giving it a wonderful sense of spaciousness.
What is Ohina Dosokai?
Ohina Dosokai is an event that began four years before the Kurashiki Hina Doll Tour, and marks its 26th year in 2025.
Every year, hina dolls donated by people from around the city are displayed throughout Nozaki Family Villa Taikado. This year, 30 sets of hina dolls were arranged by around 150 local residents, including students from Okayama Prefectural Washu Senior High School and Okayama Prefectural Shonan High School Kotoura Support School, as well as members of the Kojima Guide Association.
On weekdays, viewing the hina dolls is the main attraction, while on weekends, festival foods such as bara-zushi and amazake are sold, and the “Ohina Dosokai Tea Gathering” is held in the tea room.
I visited the Ohina Dosokai tea gathering
I visited Nozaki Family Villa Taikado on Saturday, March 1, 2025, when the Ohina Dosokai tea gathering was held. Since a tea gathering was being held, I spotted a few visitors wearing kimono. I went in semi-formal attire: a dress and white socks.
The Ohina Dosokai tea gathering and sales corner are held on weekends only.
A sales corner full of hina festival charm
A sales corner run by the Kojima Chamber of Commerce and Industry Women's Association and the Kojima Okamisan Association was set up near the entrance to Nozaki Family Villa Taikado.
There was a wide selection, including salt products associated with Nozaki's Historical Residence, adorable handmade hina dolls, and hina festival foods such as ohagi and bara-zushi.
I bought an admission ticket to Nozaki Family Villa Taikado that included a tea ticket here, then went inside.
A tea gathering celebrating the arrival of spring
Upon entering the venue, I was first shown to the waiting area for the tea gathering.
All the hanging scrolls displayed in the waiting area and tea room belong to Nozaki's Historical Residence. The residence reportedly owns more than 1,500 hanging scrolls, and those suited to the spring season are displayed.
Instead of sitting directly on the floor in seiza, chairs are provided inside the venue, so even those who find sitting on the floor difficult can sit comfortably.
Once everyone was seated, sweets were served.
The sweets were from Shotoen in Tamashima. The drum played by one of the five court musicians is depicted in yokan and nerikiri.
Voices of “How cute!” rose from all around the venue at the sight of the adorable sweets.
When the sweets are cut with a kuromoji (toothpick), they are found to be generously filled with yokan, and their refined sweetness lifts the spirits.
Adorable sweets were also handed out to children who had not purchased admission tickets. It seems that families with children are welcome to attend, too.
As we savored the delicious sweets, the host and the shokyaku (the guest representing the visitors) discussed the thoughts behind the utensils and hanging scroll used that day. Then warm matcha was brought in.
Matcha is slightly bitter, but after having just enjoyed plenty of sweet Japanese confections, it has just the right savory flavor in the mouth. Matcha bowls in pastel colors befitting the Hina Festival were served, making the venue feel bright and warm.
After the tea preparation was finished, we were invited to view the utensils that had been used.
We leave, looking at the utensils and thinking, “So that’s the design the host and shokyaku were discussing earlier...”
When we stepped out of the tea room, the air suddenly felt chilly. Nozaki's Historical Residence's Taikado Annex, including the tea room, is made of wood, so kerosene heaters cannot be used. But we realized that the tea room had felt warm thanks to the participants’ enthusiasm and the steam from boiling water.
Enjoying the Ohina Dosokai
After warming up at the Ohina Dosokai tea gathering, we admire the hina dolls displayed at Nozaki's Historical Residence's Taikado Annex.
Forty sets of hina dolls are displayed in the 100-tatami-mat great hall. These dolls were donated to the former Nozaki residence by local residents, mainly from Kojima.
The collection includes kimekomi dolls, made by tucking fabric into grooves in the wooden bodies, and lavish palace-style hina dolls that were popular in the 1950s, offering a glimpse of the trends and craftsmanship of a wide range of eras, from the Taisho period through the Heisei period.
The donors also look forward to coming to admire the hina dolls from their homes when they are displayed once a year at Ohina Dosokai.
The venue is also decorated with charming handmade hina dolls made by children, hanging hina dolls handmade by local residents, and flower arrangements.
The sight of hina dolls filling every corner of Nozaki's Historical Residence's annex, Taikado, is breathtaking.
Transform into a mebina (female hina doll) and take a photo
Ohina Dosokai is about more than just displaying rows of hina dolls.
A real uchikake is also available at the venue, so you can put one on and take photos in front of the hina dolls.
The members of the Kojima Okami-san Association will kindly show you how to put on the uchikake.
Since I had the chance, I tried putting on an uchikake too.
It was so heavy and lavishly decorated with cranes that I felt completely enveloped by it. I had the rare experience of actually wearing an uchikake, a precious garment worn only on special occasions such as weddings.
Join the “Ohina Dosokai Tea Gathering” and enjoy the Hina Festival with all five senses
Admire the hina dolls and sweets, listen to the sound of tea being whisked, savor the sweets and tea, touch the uchikake, and enjoy the fragrance of the flowers… Ohina Dosokai at Nozaki's Historical Residence's annex, Taikado, lets you enjoy the Hina Festival with all five senses and runs through Sunday, March 9, 2025.
On weekdays, you can admire the hina dolls inside the hall and try on an uchikake. Also, on the weekend of Saturday, March 8, and Sunday, March 9, you can enjoy the final Ohina Dosokai tea gathering of the year. The sweets and tea are different each day, so why not visit several times, sample a variety of sweets, and enjoy the Kojima Hina Doll Tour?
Ohina Dosokai Information
| Name | Ohina Dosokai |
|---|---|
| Dates | February 22 (Saturday)–March 9 (Sunday), 2025 |
| Location | 1-8-34 Ajino, Kojima, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Admission (tax included) | Admission and monthly tea ticket: 1,000 yen |
| Website | 22nd Kurashiki Hina Doll Tour |
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