Exactly one month after the devil, peanut-throwing Japanese holiday is another one, the Doll Festival. Today is Hina Matsuri, a holiday dedicated solely to girls and is intended to bring them happiness throughout their lives. I had an Eikaiwa class tonight and got my nine students (all older women) to explain it to me. First thing they explained (and which all Japanese holidays have) was about the food. For Hina Matsuri a sweet sushi roll called Chirashizushi, a biscuit candy called arare, and clams are eaten. Since all clams have unique shapes but two perfectly symmetric shells, eating them is symbolic of the girl finding her perfect mate (and a good source of iron). Also on this holiday, a display of ornamental dolls are set up on a large, stepped platform. The dolls are thought to contain evil spirits in them (which is true.. dolls are scary). There are seven layers and the two dolls on the highest layer represent the emperor and empress. Each successive layer contains servants with sake, musicians, courtesans, their wardrobe and so on. I had heard that the dolls were expensive so I asked my Eikaiwa class how much they normally cost. One of my student's said her daughter just got the two courtesan dolls on the 4th level for 280,000 yen ($2800!) and said the emperor and empress dolls on the 1st level can cost up to 1,800,000 yen ($18,000!?!!). I said that was the cost of a car! Traditionally, if a family has a daughter then the mother's mother (grandmother on the mother's side) has to buy the dolls for the daughter. Yikes, there goes her RRSP.