Hello Dolly
By Brie Thalmann | Photos by Aaron K. Yoshino
As with many cultural practices that make their way to the Islands, how we observe Girls’ Day, the March 3rd Japanese celebration that honors women and girls, has taken on a uniquely local spin. Nowadays, we mostly give out mochi including chi chi dango, a distinctly Hawai‘i replacement for traditional hishi mochi. But for a lovely reminder of why the day is called Hinamatsuri, or Doll Festival, in Japan, look no further than confectionery shop Minamoto Kitchoan. Each year its Ala Moana store puts out an elaborate display of traditional hina-ningyo, delicate figurines depicting court life in the Heian period that are customarily bought for a family’s first daughter and passed down through the generations.
Ala Moana Center, 1450 Ala Moana Blvd., kitchoan.com, @minamotokitchoanhawaii