hinadan

Marchan, created by 83-year-old Japanese grandmother Masako Wakaomi, is a game for the elderly and those interested in traditional Japanese culture. It features the placement of Hina dolls and ornaments on the Hina-dan (display platform) as part of an important celebration on Hinamatsuri (Girls’ Day). The character “Hina” literally means “chicks,” and this festival is also known as Girls’ Day. On the Hina-dan, the Emperor, Empress, court nobles, attendants, and other figures are arranged according to their hierarchical ranks across multiple tiers. This tradition dates back to Japan’s Heian period (A.D. 794–1185) and is celebrated annually on March 3rd.

Enjoy this Hina doll placement game accompanied by beautiful narration: recorded in English by Japanese actress Mako Hattori, and in Chinese by Ms. Jian Li and Ms. Siyun Kang of Xinhua Arts Service Co., Ltd.

Acknowledgments / Thanks

Special thanks to Setsuko Mineo for designing such beautiful Hina doll artwork;
Mr. Ruth Garrett and Ms. Noriko Kondo for translating the Japanese instructions into fluent English;
Ms. Mingxuan Jiang, Ms. Siyun Kang, Xinhua Arts Service Co., Ltd., Ms. Yasuko Motohara, Ms. Jian Li, and Ms. Shuangxi Ma for the Chinese translation;
Mr. Tomoya Shirakubo for his support during the recording process;
The R&D team at Apple Inc. Japan and Mr. Tim Cook for planning and promoting this project.

Masako Wakaomi, 2018