Tap This: Celebrating Hinamatsuri

Untapped San Francisco writer Cindy Casey celebrates Hani Matsuri and all-things Japanese in this week’s   Tap This.

What is Hinamatsuri?   Hinamatsuri, celebrated in Japan on March 3rd, is also called the Doll Festival or Girl’s Festival. On this day, families with girls wish their daughters a successful and happy life. Hina dolls are displayed in the house together with peach blossoms. The doll festival has its origin in an old custom, in which bad fortune is transferred to dolls and then removed by abandoning the dolls on a river.

What I am eating.   Mochi from the following places:   Minamoto Kitchoan, available online or in retail (Tokyo, New York, San Francisco, London, Singapore and Shanghai);   Benkyodo in San Francisco’s Japantown; and   Shuei-Do Manju in San Jose.

What I am listening to. Satomi Saeki’s Japanese Traditional Koto and Shakuhachi Music, Enka Music by Fuyumi Sakamoto, love songs by Noriyuki Makihara or just plain fun stuff from Funkey Monkey Babys.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2kCASU644U&w=640&h=480]

What I am reading.   IQ84   by Haruki Murakami. And since I write Untapped SF architecture column,   Japanese Homes and Their Surroundings   by Edward S. Morse is always close at hand.

My favorite website for all of this. Jlist, a great place to learn about Japanese customs from an American living abroad, or just to find quirky Japanese products not readily available stateside.

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