The O-Hina of a great noble's house
will often be worth a fortune, having hundreds of beautifully carved and
dressed images to represent the Emperor and Empress and every official of
the Japanese Court, with every article used for State functions, and every
piece of furniture needed to deck a royal palace. Other sets of O-Hina
represent great personages in Japanese history, perhaps a great Daimio and
his followers, each figure dressed with strict historical accuracy, and
provided with every feature proper to its rank and period.
The great festival for boys comes at the Feast of Flags. This is held on
the fifth day of the fifth month. Every one knows when the Feast of Flags
is near, for before every house where there are boys a tall post of bamboo
is set up. Swinging from the top of each post is the figure of a huge carp,
made of brightly coloured paper. If a boy has been born in the house during
the year the carp is made bigger still. The body of the fish is hollow, and
when the wind blows into it, it wriggles its fins and tail just like a fish
swimming strongly. The Japanese choose the carp because they say it has the
power of ascending streams swiftly against the current and of leaping over
waterfalls. It is thus supposed to typify a young man breasting the stream
of life, and thrusting his way through difficulties to success.
As the boys' day draws near, the shops become full of toys for them. There
are images bought for boys as well as for their sisters; but boys' images
are those of soldiers, heroes, generals, famous old warriors, wrestlers,
and so forth.
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