ABSTRACT
Celebration of a birthday is universal, but the Japanese tanjobi celebration differs from that of other countries. At tanjobicelebrations, however, gratitude to one's parents for their loving care, and joy that they are still alive are emphasized by the celebrants. Urabon-e, more commonly called Bon, is a corruption of the Sanskrit "Ullambana". It is the great pride of any local community to possess many richly decorated dashi or festival floats, because the magnitude and beauty of a shrine festival are decided by the number and richness of floats. Hina-ichi or doll fairs are opened at many places in February, to display and sell dolls for Hina-maysuri on March 3. The custom of displaying elaborately dressed costly dolls at hina-matsuri began in the Tokugawa Period, when dairibina or Court dolls came to be somehow mixed up with the ancient hina-matsuri.
