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Girls' Day festival in Japan

WAKAYAMA, Japan, March 3 Kyodo - People carry "Hina" traditional dolls on a wooden boat during an annual Girls' Day festival at Awashima shrine in western Japan city of Wakayama, on March 3, 2024, in prayer for girls' growth and happiness. The boat loaded with the dolls dedicated from across the country to the shrine is to sail off the nearby coast later in the day. (Kyodo)

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Girls' Day festival in Japan

People carry "Hina" traditional dolls on a wooden boat during an annual Girls' Day festival at Awashima shrine in western Japan city of Wakayama, on March 3, 2024, in prayer for girls' growth and happiness. The boat loaded with the dolls dedicated from across the country to the shrine is to sail off the nearby coast later in the day.

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'Missing Post Office' keeps accepting letters, postcards

TAKAMATSU, Japan - Katsuhisa Nakata, 80-year-old director of "Missing Post Office," drops a postcard into a tin box in the office on the island of Awashima in Mitoyo, Kagawa Prefecture, western Japan, as seen in this file photo taken in November 2014. The post office was created by artist Saya Kubota to accept unaddressed postcards and letters in which senders write messages to whomever they want to, such as deceased family members.

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Visitors read postcards sent to 'Missing Post Office'

TAKAMATSU, Japan - Visitors to "Missing Post Office" on the island of Awashima in Mitoyo, Kagawa Prefecture, western Japan, read postcards sent to the office as 80-year-old postmaster Katsuhisa Tanaka looks on in this file photo taken in November 2014. The post office was created by artist Saya Kubota to accept unaddressed postcards and letters in which senders write messages to whomever they want to, such as deceased family members.

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Dolls on tiny boats for seaborne journey in Girls' Day event

WAKAYAMA, Japan - A Shinto ritual is performed on "hina" dolls before they set out for a seaborne journey on tiny boats in a Girls' Day tradition to wish for girls' healthy growth and happiness at Awashima Shrine on the coast of Wakayama, western Japan, on March 3, 2014.

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Dolls sent off on seaborne journey in Girls' Day event

WAKAYAMA, Japan - "Hina" dolls set out for a seaborne journey on a tiny boat in a Girls' Day ritual to wish girls healthy growth and happiness at Awashima Shrine on the coast of Wakayama, western Japan, on March 3, 2014.

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Dolls sent off on seaborne journey in Girls' Day event

WAKAYAMA, Japan - Three tiny boats full of "hina" dolls set out for a seaborne journey in a Girl's Day ritual to wish girls healthy growth and happiness at Awashima Shrine on the coast of Wakayama, western Japan, on March 3, 2014.

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Japanese 'hina' dolls on boat

WAKAYAMA, Japan - Japanese "hina" dolls, ornamental dolls for Girls' Day on March 3, are floated on the sea in a boat near Awashima Shrine in the city of Wakayama, western Japan, during a ritual called "hina nagashi" (hina floating) on March 3, 2013. The Shinto shrine holds the annual ritual to wish for the happiness and growth of women and girls.

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Japanese 'hina' dolls on boat

WAKAYAMA, Japan - Japanese "hina" dolls, ornamental dolls for Girls' Day on March 3, are floated on the sea in a boat near Awashima Shrine in the city of Wakayama, western Japan, during a ritual called "hina nagashi" (hina floating) on March 3, 2013. The Shinto shrine holds the annual ritual to wish for the happiness and growth of women and girls.

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Japanese 'hina' dolls floating

WAKAYAMA, Japan - Japanese 'hina' dolls, ornament dolls for the March 3 Girls' Day, float on the sea in a boat decorated with flowers near the coastal Awashima Shrine in Wakayama, western Japan, during a ritual called ''hina nagashi'' (hina floating) on March 3, 2012. The Shinto shrine's annual ritual aims at happiness for women and girls.

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Japanese 'hina' dolls float down river

WAKAYAMA, Japan - Japanese 'hina' dolls, ornament dolls for the March 3 Girls' Day, go down a river by boat decorated with flowers around Awashima Shrine in Wakayama, western Japan, during a ritual called ''hina nagashi'' (hina floating) on March 3, 2011. The ritual aims at happiness for women and girls.

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Dolls to be floated out to sea to drive out evil spirits

WAKAYAMA, Japan - Some 5,000 spectators watch as small boats full of dolls are carried from Awashima Shrine to a nearby beach in Wakayama, western Japan, on Doll's Festival day March 3. The dolls, donated to the shrine from all over the nation, will be floated out to sea the next day in hopes of banishing evil spirits.

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Girls' Day ritual in western Japan

A wooden boat loaded with about 200 dolls from Awashima shrine in Wakayama sails in the sea off the western Japan city on March 3, 2022, in a traditional Girls' Day ritual. The dolls, dedicated to the shrine from across Japan, are swept out to sea as part of a ritual to pray for children's good fortune and happiness.

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Girls' Day ritual in western Japan

A wooden boat loaded with about 200 dolls from Awashima shrine in Wakayama sails in the sea off the western Japan city on March 3, 2022, in a traditional Girls' Day ritual. The dolls, dedicated to the shrine from across Japan, are swept out to sea as part of a ritual to pray for children's good fortune and happiness.

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Girls' Day ritual in western Japan

A wooden boat loaded with about 200 dolls from Awashima shrine in Wakayama sails in the sea off the western Japan city on March 3, 2022, in a traditional Girls' Day ritual. The dolls, dedicated to the shrine from across Japan, are swept out to sea as part of a ritual to pray for children's good fortune and happiness.

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Girls' Day ritual in western Japan

Photo taken on March 3, 2022, shows hundreds of dolls dedicated to Awashima shrine in Wakayama from across Japan. A wooden boat loaded with the dolls is to sail in the sea off the western Japan city later in the day in a traditional Girls' Day ritual for children's good fortune and happiness.

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Girls' Day ritual in western Japan

About 200 dolls dedicated to Awashima shrine in Wakayama from across Japan are burned after a wooden boat loaded with them sailed in the sea off the western Japan city in a traditional Girls' Day ritual for children' good fortune and happiness.

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Dolls to be floated out to sea to drive out evil spirits

WAKAYAMA, Japan - Some 5,000 spectators watch as small boats full of dolls are carried from Awashima Shrine to a nearby beach in Wakayama, western Japan, on Doll's Festival day March 3. The dolls, donated to the shrine from all over the nation, will be floated out to sea the next day in hopes of banishing evil spirits.

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Girls' Day ritual in western Japan

A wooden boat loaded with hundreds of dolls from Awashima shrine in Wakayama sails in the sea off the western Japan city on March 3, 2021, in a traditional Girls' Day ritual. The dolls, dedicated to the shrine from across Japan, are swept out to sea as part of a ritual to pray for girls' good fortune and happiness.

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Boats of "hina" dolls released in ritual for girl's happiness

Photo taken March 3, 2015, the day of the Doll Festival in Japan, shows "hina" dolls donated to Awashima Shrine in the western city of Wakayama being sent to sea in small boats in a ritual to pray for the happiness and growth of girls. Around 400 dolls were set afloat on three white boats. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Girls' Day ritual in western Japan

A wooden boat loaded with hundreds of dolls from Awashima shrine in Wakayama sails in the sea off the western Japan city on March 3, 2021, in a traditional Girls' Day ritual. The dolls, dedicated to the shrine from across Japan, are swept out to sea as part of a ritual to pray for girls' good fortune and happiness.

E

Girls' Day ritual in western Japan

A wooden boat loaded with hundreds of dolls from Awashima shrine in Wakayama sails in the sea off the western Japan city on March 3, 2021, in a traditional Girls' Day ritual. The dolls, dedicated to the shrine from across Japan, are swept out to sea as part of a ritual to pray for girls' good fortune and happiness.

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Girls' Day ritual in western Japan

A wooden boat loaded with hundreds of dolls from Awashima shrine in Wakayama sails in the sea off the western Japan city on March 3, 2021, in a traditional Girls' Day ritual. The dolls, dedicated to the shrine from across Japan, are swept out to sea as part of a ritual to pray for girls' good fortune and happiness.

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Japanese island to become home for Brits' messages to absent friends

This photo taken on Feb. 9, 2016, shows artist Saya Kubota talking about her "Missing Post Office" project at the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation in London. She is collecting letters from British people to absent friends and relatives and the correspondence will go on show on the island of Awashima, Kagawa Prefecture. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Japanese island to become home for Brits' messages to absent friends

This photo taken on Feb. 9, 2016, shows visitors to the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation in London looking at letters collected as part of Saya Kubota's "Missing Post Office" arts project. She is encouraging people to write letters to absent friends and relatives and the correspondence will go on show later this year at a post office on the island of Awashima, Kagawa Prefecture. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Japanese 'hina' dolls floating

WAKAYAMA, Japan - Japanese 'hina' dolls, ornament dolls for the March 3 Girls' Day, float on the sea in a boat decorated with flowers near the coastal Awashima Shrine in Wakayama, western Japan, during a ritual called ''hina nagashi'' (hina floating) on March 3, 2012. The Shinto shrine's annual ritual aims at happiness for women and girls. (Kyodo)

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Japanese 'hina' dolls float down river

WAKAYAMA, Japan - Japanese 'hina' dolls, ornament dolls for the March 3 Girls' Day, go down a river by boat decorated with flowers around Awashima Shrine in Wakayama, western Japan, during a ritual called ''hina nagashi'' (hina floating) on March 3, 2011. The ritual aims at happiness for women and girls. (Kyodo)

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'Missing Post Office' keeps accepting letters, postcards

TAKAMATSU, Japan - Katsuhisa Nakata, 80-year-old director of "Missing Post Office," drops a postcard into a tin box in the office on the island of Awashima in Mitoyo, Kagawa Prefecture, western Japan, as seen in this file photo taken in November 2014. The post office was created by artist Saya Kubota to accept unaddressed postcards and letters in which senders write messages to whomever they want to, such as deceased family members. (Kyodo)

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Japan Girls' Day event

Boats carry hundreds of dolls from Awashima shrine in Wakayama on March 3, 2020, in a traditional Girls' Day ritual to pray for girls' good fortune and happiness. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Dolls' festival in Japan

Hundreds of dolls are loaded onto a boat at Awashima Shrine in the western Japan city of Wakayama on March 3, 2019, the day of Japan's Dolls' Festival. The dolls are to be put to sea in a traditional ritual to pray for girls' good fortune and happiness. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Japan Girls' Day event

Boats carry hundreds of dolls from Awashima shrine in Wakayama on March 3, 2020, in a traditional Girls' Day ritual to pray for girls' good fortune and happiness. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Japan Girls' Day event

Boats carry hundreds of dolls from Awashima shrine in Wakayama on March 3, 2020, in a traditional Girls' Day ritual to pray for girls' good fortune and happiness. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Japan Girls' Day event

Photo taken March 3, 2020, shows hundreds of "hina" dolls submitted to Awashima shrine in Wakayama, western Japan, for a traditional Girls' Day ritual. Boats carrying the dolls were later put to sea for the ritual to pray for girls' good fortune and happiness. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Japan Girls' Day event

A "miko" shrine maiden holds a "hina" doll to put it in a boat for a traditional Girls' Day ritual at Awashima shrine in Wakayama, western Japan, on March 3, 2020. Boats carrying hundreds of dolls were later put to sea for the ritual to pray for girls' good fortune and happiness. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Japan Girls' Day event

A "miko" shrine maiden puts a "hina" doll in a boat for a traditional Girls' Day ritual at Awashima shrine in Wakayama, western Japan, on March 3, 2020. Boats carrying hundreds of dolls were later put to sea for the ritual to pray for girls' good fortune and happiness. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Dolls' festival in Japan

A boat carrying hundreds of dolls is put to sea from Awashima Shrine in the western Japan city of Wakayama on March 3, 2019, the day of Japan's Dolls' Festival. The dolls are put to sea in a traditional ritual to pray for girls' good fortune and happiness. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Dolls' festival in Japan

A boat carrying hundreds of dolls is put to sea from Awashima Shrine in the western Japan city of Wakayama on March 3, 2019, the day of Japan's Dolls' Festival. The dolls are put to sea in a traditional ritual to pray for girls' good fortune and happiness. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Dolls' festival in Japan

A boat carrying hundreds of dolls is put to sea from Awashima Shrine in the western Japan city of Wakayama on March 3, 2019, the day of Japan's Dolls' Festival. The dolls are put to sea in a traditional ritual to pray for girls' good fortune and happiness. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Dolls' festival in Japan

People carry boats bearing hundreds of dolls at Awashima Shrine in the western Japan city of Wakayama on March 3, 2019, the day of Japan's Dolls' Festival. The dolls are to be put to sea in a traditional ritual to pray for girls' good fortune and happiness. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Dolls floated out to sea

WAKAYAMA, Japan - Dolls dedicated to the Awashima Shrine in Wakayama Prefecture that were sent from throughout Japan are floated out to sea at the Girls' Festival on March 3 in a ritual to drive away evil spirits. Some 10,000 visitors witnessed the event in which 1,500 of the 20,000 dolls received by the shrine were sent afloat.