Girls’ Day (Hinamatsuri) is traditionally celebrated with a display of decorative dolls representing the Imperial Court. The dolls and accessories are arranged on a series of platforms, draped in red cloth. This dancing court lady may be depicting a character from kabuki known as Fuji Musume or “The Wisteria Girl.”

In 1942, the majority of the student body of the Bailey Gatzert Elementary School was of Japanese descent and all of these children were incarcerated during WWII. Because they were only able to take a few belongings with them, many of the students gave their Boy's Day and Girl's Day dolls to their principal, Miss Ada Mahon, for safekeeping. The dolls in this collection remained at Bailey Gatzert school from 1942 until 1973, when they were given to the Museum of History & Industry.

This story of lost dolls and lost memories highlights the deep experience of cultural and physical loss of the Japanese American community during the WWII incarceration. In 2001, nearly 60 years after the dolls were given away, members of the Yutani family, including Massie (née Yutani) Tomita, came to see if they could identify any of the dolls. While they could not identify them precisely, this was the first moment that these dolls were reconnected with their original owners. Massie Yutani Tomita and her family were incarcerated at Minidoka while she was a high school student.