By Bernadette H. Carreon
Horizon news staff

Japanese families here in Palau participated on Wednesday in the Hina-Matsuri or Girl’s Day.
In Japan, children are celebrated and honored on special days of the year with a display of dolls and the Girl’s Day is held March 3.
The Embassy of Japan set up a display of the Hina Ningyo at the embassy.
During the Girl’s Day, the Hina Ningyo is traditionally set up by families with daughters.
The dolls are then dressed in gorgeous kimonos modeled after those worn by women in the ancient Heian court.
The embassy said that Heian means peace or tranquility which depicts the last division of classical Japanese history from the year 794 to 1185.
The embassy said that this period is considered the peak of the Japanese Imperial Court and is most noted for the arts produced especially poetry and literature.
The Hina Ningyo is composed of the Hina or Empress and dairi or Emperor that sit on the top shelf, followed by sannin-kanjo or the three ladies of court
The display also includes the gonin-bayashi or five court musicians, zuishin or escorts and eji the guards.
The display also includes diamond-shaped rice cakes, peach blossoms, sweets and white sake as offerings.
The dolls are also displayed on stepped shelves to express the families wishes and prayers for their daughters’ "good health, happiness, success and most importantly , a good marriage."
The Hina-Matsuri has a popular superstition that is widely believed which that the families must take apart and put away the Hina Ningyo on the evening of March 4 or they will gave trouble marrying of their daughters.
The embassy however will put the display for the whole month of March.
The embassy said the public is invited to visit and see the display.