Glossary

Menko – playing cards made from thick cardboard pieces drawn with various characters.

Tako – Japanese word for “kite”

Koma – spinning tops made from wood or metal

Anime – Japanese animation

Kokeshi – wooden dolls having a girl’s face and body without limbs and hands.

Daruma – spherical-shaped dolls with red-painted bodies and faces painted white.

Hina-ningyo (Hina) Dolls – crafted and dressed dolls representing the Imperial Court.

Hina Matsuri Festival – a festival celebrated every March 3rd wherein Hina dolls are paraded and used for the purification ritual

Hello Kity – a cartoon character from Sanrio Co. and is famous worldwide

Hamamatsu Kite Festival – the most popular kite festival celebrated in the Hamamatsu region.