From Ancient Rituals to a Celebration of Girls

In Japan, the most important celebrations were always tied to seasonal changes—rituals for cleansing, banishing evil, and giving thanks for the harvest. Among these, the most significant are the Gosekku, the Five Seasonal Festivals.

The first big celebration after the New Year is Hinamatsuri, or Doll’s Day, also known as Girl’s Day. At the heart of these celebrations is often rice, or a special rice-based dish prepared for the occasion.

The human desire to purify ourselves and begin anew—body and mind—may be as old as civilization itself. Winter was always a difficult season. The cold weakened the body, troubled the mind, and left people burdened with stress and worry. In ancient China, a ritual developed to wash away these hardships. On the “day of the snake,” at the beginning of the third month in the lunar calendar, people would purify themselves in rivers, cleansing both body and spirit of evil and misfortune. This tradition eventually traveled to Japan, evolving over time into the vibrant and charming celebration we now know as Hinamatsuri.

In the beginning, about a 1000 years ago, it was a courtly event. Nobles invited yin-yang diviners to hold rituals and pray for them, offered rice and seasonal foods to the gods of heaven and earth, and made dolls from paper and grass, which they floated into rivers or the sea to excorcize evil spirits and pray for health and protection. At the same time, small paper dolls were popular toys among young girls in the aristocracy. When peace finally settled in Japan during the Edo period, the celebration gradually shifted from a ritual of warding off evil to a colorful and joyful festival, and the charming Hinamatsuri we know today was born.

During this time, Hinamatsuri evolved into a grand ceremony celebrating girls. From the Imperial Palace, the festival spread to the samurai families and women’s quarters of the shogunate, then gradually moved from the aristocracy to townspeople, and from the major cities to rural communities.

Hina Doll Displays and Their Meaning

By the mid-Edo period, Hinamatsuri became very popular. What had once been simple paper dolls evolved into beautiful creations. Many dolls were made using leftover kimono silk and were sold in special doll markets throughout Japan. As doll-making techniques advanced, dolls began to be carefully preserved and displayed, becoming treasured heirlooms passed through generations. Today, hina dolls are displayed as a wish from parents for their daughters to be protected from illness, accidents, and misfortune, and to one day build a happy family.

A Hina doll display can take many forms. The simplest has just two dolls, representing the Emperor and Empress, who symbolize the ideal couple and a harmonious, prosperous life. The most elaborate displays have seven tiers, filled with attendants, musicians, and other figures who serve the imperial couple, along with foods offered to them.

Alongside the hina dolls, peach blossoms were arranged. The festival took place when peach trees began to bloom, and peach blossoms became its symbol, adding to its charm. In Japan, peaches have long been believed to hold protective powers, guarding against misfortune and evil.

Hinamatsuri today

In the early Meiji era (1868–1912), Japan entered a period of rapid modernization. As public life became increasingly westernized, many traditional seasonal customs lost their official place but they did not disappear. Hinamatsuri continued to be celebrated in homes and communities. Families would display their special dolls set a few days before the actual celebration as a wish from parents for their daughters to be protected from illness, accidents, and other misfortunes, and to eventually build a happy family.

Today, Hinamatsuri can be both a charming public event, full of children and sweets, and a warm, joyful celebration bringing the family together. Temples and shrines often display their own Hina doll collections, which families visit together. Afterwards, they return home to celebrate with their own rituals. Rituals that includes, of course, special foods and treats.

Hinamatsuri Foods and Their Meaning

In Japan, many celebrations come with their own special foods and Japanese food culture is layered with meaning. Many celebratory dishes are not only delicious, but symbolic. Festivals that wish for health and protection are accompanied by foods chosen for what they represent. Hinamatsuri is no exception. Shops are offering hina-arare, the small colorful rice crackers coated in sugar, that symbolize good fortune. Families enjoy sweet shiro-zake and serve clear clam soup.

At the center of the table, however, is the beloved chirashizushi — a bright and flavorful rice dish that has been enjoyed since the Edo period. Even its colors are meaningful. Pink stands for protection from illness and misfortune, white represents purity, and green signifies the warding off of evil. With this in mind, let’s take a look at how to prepare this vibrant and celebratory dish.

How to Make Chirashi Sushi

Even without a traditional wooden rice tub (handai), you can beautifully present chirashi sushi on a larger serving plate.

Rice is the soul of chirashizushi. Choosing the right variety makes all the difference. Since chirashizushi is a type of sushi, the rice must pair well with vinegar. In general, varieties with lower moisture content are best. Because the rice is mixed with sushi vinegar, a firmer grain — ideally with a moisture content of 14% or less — creates better balance and texture. One of the best choices is Nihonbare from Shiga Prefecture. It has relatively low stickiness, moderate firmness, and a pleasant bite. In Kyoto and Shiga, Nihonbare is widely favored for sushi rice.

The amount of rice depends on your appetite. In a typical Japanese meal, about half a go of rice per person is standard. For Hinamatsuri, however, chirashizushi plays the main role, so cooking up to one full go per person is not unusual.

Preparing the Vinegared Rice

Mix sushi vinegar into hot rice using a slicing motion to avoid crushing the grains. A wooden tub helps remove excess moisture, but a bowl works if you adjust the vinegar slightly.

For vinegared rice:

• 1 cup (1 go) Japanese rice
• 2 tbsp sushi vinegar (use slightly less if mixing in a bowl)

Once we have prepared our favorite Nihonbare, let’s see what else we need.

Ingredients

For the rice mix:

• Steamed shrimp (5 pieces)
• Carrot (30 g)
• Shiitake mushrooms (2 pieces)
• Dashi broth (traditional Japanese fish broth - 100 ml)
• 1 Tbsp sugar 
• sake
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce

For toppings (cooked):

• 30 g Pickled lotus root
• Shredded egg (1 egg, 1/3 tsp sugar) 
• 20 g nanohana (rapeseed blossom)
• 10 g kogomi (fiddlehead fern)
• 1 tsp mirin
• 1 tsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp dashi

For toppings (no cooking required):

• 20 g simmered anago eel (chopped)
• Shredded nori (as needed)
• 10 g sakura denbu (pink seasoned cod flakes)

Preparing the Rice Mix

Julienne the carrot, shiitake, and bamboo shoot (slice some bamboo shoots slightly larger for garnish). Simmer with dashi, sugar, sake, and soy sauce for about 10 minutes, then let cool to absorb flavor.

These simmered vegetables keep well and can be frozen in portions for easy future use. Any leftover broth can be added to plain rice to make seasoned rice.

Preparing the Toppings

Pickled lotus root can be shaped like flowers, briefly boiled, and soaked in sushi vinegar. It keeps for about a week and can also be stir-fried.

For shredded egg, mix sugar into beaten egg, cook thin layers, let cool completely, then slice finely.

Blanch greens briefly and season with mirin, light soy sauce, and dashi. Seasonal mountain vegetables add a fresh spring touch.

Assembling

Gently fold the simmered ingredients into the rice. Arrange toppings in layers, starting with darker colors (anago, nori) and finishing with brighter ones (egg, shrimp, greens, lotus root, sakura denbu). Fluff the shredded egg lightly and shape the sakura denbu into small mounds rather than scattering it.

The result is a vibrant spring dish, with yellow and green standing out beautifully.

In the Edo period, before refrigeration, chirashi sushi relied on mountain and sea ingredients and skillful use of dried foods. Today it often includes sashimi, but its roots remain simple and seasonal.

For busy days, prepare the simmered mix in advance and freeze it. On the day of celebration, simply combine it with vinegared rice for an elegant and festive meal.

Tea culture 

Thanks to the pickled vegetables and sushi vinegar, chirashizushi is aromatic, slightly tangy, and refreshingly light. This bright flavor pairs beautifully with umami-rich, toasty teas. Sencha Tongu Asatsuyu is a light-steamed sencha with a sweet and toasty flavor reminding of baked sweet potatoes. It's toasty and comforting depth complements Chirashizushi perfectly.