Brilliant ‘tsurushibina’ decorations at Hanawa, Feb. 21, 2019. (塙 の華麗な つるし雛 2019年2月21日)

Traditional ‘tsurushibina’ or hanging decorations for girls’ festival are being publicly displayed at some of the locations in Fukushima in this time of year. Hanawa Town is one of them. Photo above shows tsurushibina exhibition at Community Plaza inside the Iwakihanawa Station building of JR Suigun Line. Each of the hanging pieces was made by handicraft quilting using scrap cloth. A group of local women volunteers called ‘Quiltmate Hanawa’ made all of these. Actually this tradition had spread across Japan in late Edo Period and was passed down to this day.
この時期になると、福島県各地で伝統のつるし雛の飾りつけが、公開されます。塙町もその1つです。写真は、JR水郡線の磐城塙駅舎内の、コミュニティプラザでの展示です。ぶら下がっている飾りは、端切れを利用して1つ1つ手作業でつくったキルトです。地元の女性ボランティアグループ「キルトメイトはなわ」の方達が作りました。この伝統は、江戸後期に国内各地に広がり、今日に伝わるものです。

Photo above was taken from a different angle and you can see the whole hanging structure from above. This exhibit continues through March 3rd which is the girls’ festival day. JR Iwakihanawa Station is about 1.5hr train ride from Koriyama.
写真は、別の角度から撮ったものですが、全体のつりさげ構造がわかります。この展示は、ひな祭りの3月3日まで続きます。磐城塙(いわきはなわ)駅は、郡山から電車で1時間半ほどです。