Tenryo Hita Doll Festival

Tenryo Hita Doll Festival
February 15 ~ March 31
Hita, Mameda-machi, Kuma-machi

The Tenryo area of Hita – where culture and tradition survive in a historical setting. Welcome to the colorful world of hina dolls.

Hina Dolls: Suffused with the Traditional Beauty of the Edo Period
The doll festival is a harbinger of spring in Hita’s Tenryo district. The vividly-colored, elaborate dolls and their accoutrements, which were made from the Edo period to the Meiji era, are displayed throughout the area and attract tourists from all over Kyushu. The exhibitions are held in 20 locations in Mameda-machi and Kuma-machi on either side of the JR Hita Station, and the colorful doll festival atmosphere brightens the neighborhood in a way evocative of ages past. The dolls on display have been well preserved by commercial establishments in the city. They present an excellent opportunity to see the inherent beauty of traditional crafts, particularly the attractive coloring of the clothing, the workmanship of the accessories, and the unique expression on each doll’s face. The exhibition area itself has many buildings dating from the Edo period and the Meiji era. Mameda has been designated an important traditional architectural preservation district by the national government. Combined with the doll exhibits, the buildings offer visitors a stately sense of history. Hita is dotted with three-story wood frame buildings that date back three centuries, so visitors can also enjoy the street scenes. Other events are held in conjunction with the doll festival featuring handmade Japanese confections and matcha tea in the Honjo-machi commercial district (3-2 Honjo-machi, 0973-22-2216) and the Kizan-machi commercial district (5-11 Kizan-machi, 0973-22-2800). They’re definitely worth the trip.

Why a Doll Festival in Hita?
The origins of the Hita doll festival date back to the days when the area was a thriving center of government, economics, and culture. It was the headquarters of the Saigokusuji Gundai, one of the four major regional administrators responsible for tax collection and law and order for Shogunal land (tenryo) during the Edo period. In those days, moneylenders and other businesses prospered. These moneylenders used the public funds of the Shogunate in their business. Hita was the administrative center for the Shogunal land, so all the taxes collected in those regions were remitted to the city. This money was lent to the feudal lord and public enterprises to generate profits off the interest, which created a flourishing commercial environment in the town. A local culture arose in the town through the interaction of people, trade, and customs, and the well-to-do merchants began to buy works of art from Edo and Osaka. This artwork included the hina dolls and their accessories. The families that owned these dolls treasured and carefully preserved them, and publicly displayed them on March 3 during the Doll Festival. The festival has become one of the most well-known of its type. The dolls are shown with the wish for the sound growth of the children in the household. Visitors to the event get the opportunity to relive Edo culture in Hita as well as witness a reminder of warm parental love.

Where to See Doll Exhibitions
Establishments marked with an asterisk have exhibitions all year round

Mameda-machi
Kuncho Shukan (sake brewer), Nihongan-kan (museum), Hirose Shiryokan (museum)*, Kusano Honke (family home), Shizantei Kaikokan (restaurant and museum)*, Tenryo Hina Jinya (museum)*, Shimaya Honke (family home)

Kuma-machi
Onta Kotokan (ceramics exhibition room), Harajirozaemonke (family home), Okurake (family home), Shunkoen (restaurant), Yamakichi Gotoke (family home), Sennen-ji (temple), Hita Gion Yamaboko Kaikan (festival center)*, and Tanaka-ya Saketen (liquor store) / Temari-kan (museum)*

The Kizan-machi and Honjo-machi Commercial Districts

Mr. Watakichi, the Confection Peddler
During the festival, Mr. Watakichi appears in Mameda-machi to sell confections. He dispenses fascinating nuggets of local information as he walks through the neighborhood selling his sweets. You can recognize him by his Edo period dress and the pole across his shoulder, which he uses to carry the confections.

Sightseeing Information
Taio Kinzan
Formerly one of the world’s richest gold mines, 800 meters of the 110-kilometer shaft has been rebuilt into a sightseeing course featuring the subterranean world. Visitors can try their hand at prospecting for gold for a 600 fee. This involves filling a plate with sand and water, swishing it around, and patiently looking for treasure, an activity that engrosses both children and adults.
Michi-no-Eki Taio Kinzan
3750 Gose, Nakatsu-mura, Hita
0973-56-5316
09:00 ~ 17:00
Underground museum
1,000
Closed: First Mon. ~ Fri. in February
About one hour by car from the Hita interchange on the Oita Expressway
Hita Hot Springs
The Hita hot springs area consists of seven ryokan – Japanese inns – with spas located along the Mikuma River upstream from the Chikugo River. In addition to the spa waters, visitors can enjoy the relaxed riverside atmosphere, including dinner on special excursion boats, or watching specially-trained cormorants catch fish (from mid-May to the end of October). It’s not necessary to spend the night at the ryokan to use their hot spring facilities – they’re also open to visitors who come just for a bath. Also known as the Kodakara Hot Springs, this is also a pleasant area for a stroll.

City of Hita Tourism Promotion Department
0973-22-3111

Fureai Guide
English-speaking guides!
Contact Hita Tourism Association
0973-22-2036
Gifts and souvenirs
Hita Dorei (Clay bells)
250 yen ~
These Hita earthenware bells are traditional toys made in the shapes of the animals representing the Oriental zodiac, baby chicks, and other designs. They are noted for their round, plump shapes and bright colors. They come in different sizes and are hung on the ends of rafters or attached to wallets. Legend has it that ringing the bells wards off evil spirits.
Toko-do
10-3 Mameda-machi, Hita
0973-22-1141
Closed: Thu. (but open all week during the festival)

Yokan (Bean Jelly)
1,300 yen ~
This high quality yokan (azuki bean jelly) is made by adding kanten (edible seaweed) to the finest bean paste. It is sold in nine different sizes, and the smooth and shiny black surface has quite a visual impact. The yokan is packaged in the traditional style, using wood cut into extremely thin slices. The surface gets harder as the confection ages, giving it a delightful crunchy texture.
Akashi Hita Yokan Honpo
8-15 Mameda-machi, Hita
0973-22-2240
Closed: Thu. (but open all week during the festival)

Access
By car
About 50 min. / 1,650 yen
Dazaifu Interchange – Kyushu Expressway/Oita Expressway (45 min. / 1,650 yen) – Hita Interchange

Train
1 hr. 20 min. / 3,020 yen
JR Hakata Stn. – Kagoshima Main Line / Kyudai Main Line (1 hr. 20 min. yen) – Get off at JR Hita Stn.

Bus
1 hr. 20 min. / 1,750 yen
Tenjin Bus Center (1 hr. 20 min. / 1,750 yen) Hita Bus Center

Inquiries
Tourism Promotion Department, City of Hita
0973-22-3111
Hita Tourism Association
0973-22-2036

 

 

 

 

2月15日～3月31日
日田市／豆田町・隈町

古い町並みを残し、伝統、文化が受け継がれる天領日田。華やかなおひなさまの世界へ出かけよう。

江戸時代の伝統美にふれるひな祭り
江戸から明治時期にかけて作られた豪華絢爛なひな人形やひな道具などが各地に展示される天領日田のおひなまつり。JR日田駅をはさんで豆田地区と隈地区のおよそ20か所にひな人形が展示され、町は華やかなひなまつりムード一色に彩られる。ひとつとして同じモノはないひな人形の表情や衣装、小物細工など、それぞれに伝統工芸の美しさを見ることができる。また、国の重要伝統的建造物群保存地区に指定される豆田地区では、ひな飾りと合わせて、木造3階建ての商家や築300年という日本家屋など、古い町並み見学も楽しみのひとつだ。風情ある日田の町で江戸文化にふれてみて。

期間中に一般公開されているひな人形（※）は常時展示
豆田町
薫長酒館、日本丸館、廣瀬資料館（※）、草野本家、市山亭懐古館（※）、天領ひな陣屋（※）、嶋屋本家

隈町
小鹿田古陶館、原次郎左衛門家、大蔵家、春光園、ヤマキチ後藤家、専念寺、日田祇園山鉾会館（※）、田中屋酒店／てまり館（※）

亀山町、本庄町商店街

お菓子売りの綿吉さん！
おまつりの期間中、豆田町に現れるというお菓子売りのおじさん『綿吉さん』。個数限定のお菓子を売り歩きながら、時に地元ならではのおもしろい情報を聞かせてくれるという。江戸時代の衣装と天秤棒が目印だ！
おみやげ
一枚物
1,300円～
上質のあんに寒天を加えて仕上げた上品な羊羹。9通りの大きさがあり、つるんと黒光りする質感はインパクト大。昔ながらの経木で包まれる羊羹は、日が経つと表面が固くなり、カリカリとした食感を楽しむことができる。
赤司日田羊羹本舗
日田市豆田町8-15
9:00～17:00
0973-22-2240
木曜定休木曜定休（まつり期間中は無休）

日田土鈴
250円～
干支や雛土鈴など、ぽってりと丸い形にカラフルな絵柄がデザインされた日田の伝統玩具・土鈴。軒先きに飾ったり、財布につけたり、サイズもいろいろ。ガラガラと打ち鳴らすことで魔よけの効果があるのだとか。
東光堂
日田市豆田町10-3
10:00～17:00
0973-22-1141
木曜定休（まつり期間中は無休）
ふれあいガイド
英語での観光案内あります！
アクセス
自動車　約50分／1,650円
太宰府I.C.ー（九州自動車道／大分自動車道）45分／1,650円ー日田I.C.

電車　1時間20分／3,020円
JR博多駅ー（鹿児島本線／久大本線）1時間20分ーJR日田駅下車

バス　約1時間20分／1,750円
天神バスセンターー（約1時間20分／1,750円）ー日田バスセンター下車駅

問い合わせ先
日田市観光振興課
0973-23-3111
日田観光協会
0973-22-2036
観光情報
鯛生金山
かつて採掘量東洋一を誇った金山。坑内総延長110kmのうち、800mが見学コースとして整備され、地底世界が公開されている。さらに地上でのお楽しみは「砂金採り体験（600円）」。お皿に入れた砂を水に浸して揺り動かし、根気づよく砂金を探すというもの。子どもから大人まで思わず夢中になってしまうはず。
道の駅 鯛生金山
日田市中津江村合瀬3750
0973-56-5316
9:00～17:00

地底博物館
1,000円
2月第1月曜日～金曜日休館
大分自動車道日田I.Cから車で約60分
日田温泉
筑後川の上流・三隈川沿い、7軒の温泉旅館からなる日田温泉では、温泉はもちろん、川を流れる屋形船での夕食や鵜飼い（5月中旬～10月末）など、ゆったりとした水辺の風情を楽しむことができる。それぞれの旅館では、宿泊客以外にも立ち寄り温泉を開放。町並み散策と合わせて気軽に立ち寄りたくなるスポットだ。別名、子宝温泉としても知られている。
日田市観光振興課
0973-23-3111

 

 

 

 

Tenryo Hita Doll Festival
February 15 ~ March 31
Hita, Mameda-machi, Kuma-machi

The Tenryo area of Hita – where culture and tradition survive in a historical setting. Welcome to the colorful world of hina dolls.

Hina Dolls: Suffused with the Traditional Beauty of the Edo Period
The doll festival is a harbinger of spring in Hita’s Tenryo district. The vividly-colored, elaborate dolls and their accoutrements, which were made from the Edo period to the Meiji era, are displayed throughout the area and attract tourists from all over Kyushu. The exhibitions are held in 20 locations in Mameda-machi and Kuma-machi on either side of the JR Hita Station, and the colorful doll festival atmosphere brightens the neighborhood in a way evocative of ages past. The dolls on display have been well preserved by commercial establishments in the city. They present an excellent opportunity to see the inherent beauty of traditional crafts, particularly the attractive coloring of the clothing, the workmanship of the accessories, and the unique expression on each doll’s face. The exhibition area itself has many buildings dating from the Edo period and the Meiji era. Mameda has been designated an important traditional architectural preservation district by the national government. Combined with the doll exhibits, the buildings offer visitors a stately sense of history. Hita is dotted with three-story wood frame buildings that date back three centuries, so visitors can also enjoy the street scenes. Other events are held in conjunction with the doll festival featuring handmade Japanese confections and matcha tea in the Honjo-machi commercial district (3-2 Honjo-machi, 0973-22-2216) and the Kizan-machi commercial district (5-11 Kizan-machi, 0973-22-2800). They’re definitely worth the trip.

Why a Doll Festival in Hita?
The origins of the Hita doll festival date back to the days when the area was a thriving center of government, economics, and culture. It was the headquarters of the Saigokusuji Gundai, one of the four major regional administrators responsible for tax collection and law and order for Shogunal land (tenryo) during the Edo period. In those days, moneylenders and other businesses prospered. These moneylenders used the public funds of the Shogunate in their business. Hita was the administrative center for the Shogunal land, so all the taxes collected in those regions were remitted to the city. This money was lent to the feudal lord and public enterprises to generate profits off the interest, which created a flourishing commercial environment in the town. A local culture arose in the town through the interaction of people, trade, and customs, and the well-to-do merchants began to buy works of art from Edo and Osaka. This artwork included the hina dolls and their accessories. The families that owned these dolls treasured and carefully preserved them, and publicly displayed them on March 3 during the Doll Festival. The festival has become one of the most well-known of its type. The dolls are shown with the wish for the sound growth of the children in the household. Visitors to the event get the opportunity to relive Edo culture in Hita as well as witness a reminder of warm parental love.

Where to See Doll Exhibitions
Establishments marked with an asterisk have exhibitions all year round

Mameda-machi
Kuncho Shukan (sake brewer), Nihongan-kan (museum), Hirose Shiryokan (museum)*, Kusano Honke (family home), Shizantei Kaikokan (restaurant and museum)*, Tenryo Hina Jinya (museum)*, Shimaya Honke (family home)

Kuma-machi
Onta Kotokan (ceramics exhibition room), Harajirozaemonke (family home), Okurake (family home), Shunkoen (restaurant), Yamakichi Gotoke (family home), Sennen-ji (temple), Hita Gion Yamaboko Kaikan (festival center)*, and Tanaka-ya Saketen (liquor store) / Temari-kan (museum)*

The Kizan-machi and Honjo-machi Commercial Districts

Mr. Watakichi, the Confection Peddler
During the festival, Mr. Watakichi appears in Mameda-machi to sell confections. He dispenses fascinating nuggets of local information as he walks through the neighborhood selling his sweets. You can recognize him by his Edo period dress and the pole across his shoulder, which he uses to carry the confections.

Sightseeing Information
Taio Kinzan
Formerly one of the world’s richest gold mines, 800 meters of the 110-kilometer shaft has been rebuilt into a sightseeing course featuring the subterranean world. Visitors can try their hand at prospecting for gold for a 600 fee. This involves filling a plate with sand and water, swishing it around, and patiently looking for treasure, an activity that engrosses both children and adults.
Michi-no-Eki Taio Kinzan
3750 Gose, Nakatsu-mura, Hita
0973-56-5316
09:00 ~ 17:00
Underground museum
1,000
Closed: First Mon. ~ Fri. in February
About one hour by car from the Hita interchange on the Oita Expressway
Hita Hot Springs
The Hita hot springs area consists of seven ryokan – Japanese inns – with spas located along the Mikuma River upstream from the Chikugo River. In addition to the spa waters, visitors can enjoy the relaxed riverside atmosphere, including dinner on special excursion boats, or watching specially-trained cormorants catch fish (from mid-May to the end of October). It’s not necessary to spend the night at the ryokan to use their hot spring facilities – they’re also open to visitors who come just for a bath. Also known as the Kodakara Hot Springs, this is also a pleasant area for a stroll.

City of Hita Tourism Promotion Department
0973-22-3111

Fureai Guide
English-speaking guides!
Contact Hita Tourism Association
0973-22-2036
Gifts and souvenirs
Hita Dorei (Clay bells)
250 yen ~
These Hita earthenware bells are traditional toys made in the shapes of the animals representing the Oriental zodiac, baby chicks, and other designs. They are noted for their round, plump shapes and bright colors. They come in different sizes and are hung on the ends of rafters or attached to wallets. Legend has it that ringing the bells wards off evil spirits.
Toko-do
10-3 Mameda-machi, Hita
0973-22-1141
Closed: Thu. (but open all week during the festival)

Yokan (Bean Jelly)
1,300 yen ~
This high quality yokan (azuki bean jelly) is made by adding kanten (edible seaweed) to the finest bean paste. It is sold in nine different sizes, and the smooth and shiny black surface has quite a visual impact. The yokan is packaged in the traditional style, using wood cut into extremely thin slices. The surface gets harder as the confection ages, giving it a delightful crunchy texture.
Akashi Hita Yokan Honpo
8-15 Mameda-machi, Hita
0973-22-2240
Closed: Thu. (but open all week during the festival)

Access
By car
About 50 min. / 1,650 yen
Dazaifu Interchange – Kyushu Expressway/Oita Expressway (45 min. / 1,650 yen) – Hita Interchange

Train
1 hr. 20 min. / 3,020 yen
JR Hakata Stn. – Kagoshima Main Line / Kyudai Main Line (1 hr. 20 min. yen) – Get off at JR Hita Stn.

Bus
1 hr. 20 min. / 1,750 yen
Tenjin Bus Center (1 hr. 20 min. / 1,750 yen) Hita Bus Center

Inquiries
Tourism Promotion Department, City of Hita
0973-22-3111
Hita Tourism Association
0973-22-2036

 

 

 

 

Tenryo Hita Doll Festival
February 15 ~ March 31
Hita, Mameda-machi, Kuma-machi

The Tenryo area of Hita – where culture and tradition survive in a historical setting. Welcome to the colorful world of hina dolls.

Hina Dolls: Suffused with the Traditional Beauty of the Edo Period
The doll festival is a harbinger of spring in Hita’s Tenryo district. The vividly-colored, elaborate dolls and their accoutrements, which were made from the Edo period to the Meiji era, are displayed throughout the area and attract tourists from all over Kyushu. The exhibitions are held in 20 locations in Mameda-machi and Kuma-machi on either side of the JR Hita Station, and the colorful doll festival atmosphere brightens the neighborhood in a way evocative of ages past. The dolls on display have been well preserved by commercial establishments in the city. They present an excellent opportunity to see the inherent beauty of traditional crafts, particularly the attractive coloring of the clothing, the workmanship of the accessories, and the unique expression on each doll’s face. The exhibition area itself has many buildings dating from the Edo period and the Meiji era. Mameda has been designated an important traditional architectural preservation district by the national government. Combined with the doll exhibits, the buildings offer visitors a stately sense of history. Hita is dotted with three-story wood frame buildings that date back three centuries, so visitors can also enjoy the street scenes. Other events are held in conjunction with the doll festival featuring handmade Japanese confections and matcha tea in the Honjo-machi commercial district (3-2 Honjo-machi, 0973-22-2216) and the Kizan-machi commercial district (5-11 Kizan-machi, 0973-22-2800). They’re definitely worth the trip.

Why a Doll Festival in Hita?
The origins of the Hita doll festival date back to the days when the area was a thriving center of government, economics, and culture. It was the headquarters of the Saigokusuji Gundai, one of the four major regional administrators responsible for tax collection and law and order for Shogunal land (tenryo) during the Edo period. In those days, moneylenders and other businesses prospered. These moneylenders used the public funds of the Shogunate in their business. Hita was the administrative center for the Shogunal land, so all the taxes collected in those regions were remitted to the city. This money was lent to the feudal lord and public enterprises to generate profits off the interest, which created a flourishing commercial environment in the town. A local culture arose in the town through the interaction of people, trade, and customs, and the well-to-do merchants began to buy works of art from Edo and Osaka. This artwork included the hina dolls and their accessories. The families that owned these dolls treasured and carefully preserved them, and publicly displayed them on March 3 during the Doll Festival. The festival has become one of the most well-known of its type. The dolls are shown with the wish for the sound growth of the children in the household. Visitors to the event get the opportunity to relive Edo culture in Hita as well as witness a reminder of warm parental love.

Where to See Doll Exhibitions
Establishments marked with an asterisk have exhibitions all year round

Mameda-machi
Kuncho Shukan (sake brewer), Nihongan-kan (museum), Hirose Shiryokan (museum)*, Kusano Honke (family home), Shizantei Kaikokan (restaurant and museum)*, Tenryo Hina Jinya (museum)*, Shimaya Honke (family home)

Kuma-machi
Onta Kotokan (ceramics exhibition room), Harajirozaemonke (family home), Okurake (family home), Shunkoen (restaurant), Yamakichi Gotoke (family home), Sennen-ji (temple), Hita Gion Yamaboko Kaikan (festival center)*, and Tanaka-ya Saketen (liquor store) / Temari-kan (museum)*

The Kizan-machi and Honjo-machi Commercial Districts

Mr. Watakichi, the Confection Peddler
During the festival, Mr. Watakichi appears in Mameda-machi to sell confections. He dispenses fascinating nuggets of local information as he walks through the neighborhood selling his sweets. You can recognize him by his Edo period dress and the pole across his shoulder, which he uses to carry the confections.

Sightseeing Information
Taio Kinzan
Formerly one of the world’s richest gold mines, 800 meters of the 110-kilometer shaft has been rebuilt into a sightseeing course featuring the subterranean world. Visitors can try their hand at prospecting for gold for a 600 fee. This involves filling a plate with sand and water, swishing it around, and patiently looking for treasure, an activity that engrosses both children and adults.
Michi-no-Eki Taio Kinzan
3750 Gose, Nakatsu-mura, Hita
0973-56-5316
09:00 ~ 17:00
Underground museum
1,000
Closed: First Mon. ~ Fri. in February
About one hour by car from the Hita interchange on the Oita Expressway
Hita Hot Springs
The Hita hot springs area consists of seven ryokan – Japanese inns – with spas located along the Mikuma River upstream from the Chikugo River. In addition to the spa waters, visitors can enjoy the relaxed riverside atmosphere, including dinner on special excursion boats, or watching specially-trained cormorants catch fish (from mid-May to the end of October). It’s not necessary to spend the night at the ryokan to use their hot spring facilities – they’re also open to visitors who come just for a bath. Also known as the Kodakara Hot Springs, this is also a pleasant area for a stroll.

City of Hita Tourism Promotion Department
0973-22-3111

Fureai Guide
English-speaking guides!
Contact Hita Tourism Association
0973-22-2036
Gifts and souvenirs
Hita Dorei (Clay bells)
250 yen ~
These Hita earthenware bells are traditional toys made in the shapes of the animals representing the Oriental zodiac, baby chicks, and other designs. They are noted for their round, plump shapes and bright colors. They come in different sizes and are hung on the ends of rafters or attached to wallets. Legend has it that ringing the bells wards off evil spirits.
Toko-do
10-3 Mameda-machi, Hita
0973-22-1141
Closed: Thu. (but open all week during the festival)

Yokan (Bean Jelly)
1,300 yen ~
This high quality yokan (azuki bean jelly) is made by adding kanten (edible seaweed) to the finest bean paste. It is sold in nine different sizes, and the smooth and shiny black surface has quite a visual impact. The yokan is packaged in the traditional style, using wood cut into extremely thin slices. The surface gets harder as the confection ages, giving it a delightful crunchy texture.
Akashi Hita Yokan Honpo
8-15 Mameda-machi, Hita
0973-22-2240
Closed: Thu. (but open all week during the festival)

Access
By car
About 50 min. / 1,650 yen
Dazaifu Interchange – Kyushu Expressway/Oita Expressway (45 min. / 1,650 yen) – Hita Interchange

Train
1 hr. 20 min. / 3,020 yen
JR Hakata Stn. – Kagoshima Main Line / Kyudai Main Line (1 hr. 20 min. yen) – Get off at JR Hita Stn.

Bus
1 hr. 20 min. / 1,750 yen
Tenjin Bus Center (1 hr. 20 min. / 1,750 yen) Hita Bus Center

Inquiries
Tourism Promotion Department, City of Hita
0973-22-3111
Hita Tourism Association
0973-22-2036