Since ancient times, humans have created dolls in their own image. Youkai have also been known to make dolls, seemingly in imitation of humans. Sometimes, the dolls they make become youkai. These dolls are all destined to become Hina's friends.

Hina regularly wanders the land, gathering misfortune to prevent it from accumulating near any humans. However, more often than not, she can be found on the Youkai Mountain or in the Forest of Magic, gathering misfortune that flows down rivers. Since all humans rely on water for survival, sooner or later, they're bound to come into contact with Hina, particularly those who live near a river. They take care to maintain good relations with Hina because they would be in a lot of trouble if she stopped gathering misfortune for them.

Hina takes care of dolls that have accumulated misfortune. Sometimes, after she gathers the misfortune, she returns the dolls to their former owners. Then, the dolls accumulate misfortune again, and the cycle repeats. Since she spends so much time with these dolls, she thought it might be a nice gesture to return them in a better condition than when she got them. And so, over time, she honed her skills with a needle and thread. Luckily, she was blessed with some knowledgeable friends who were more than happy to teach her new sewing techniques at tea parties.

Even the most treasured doll will inevitably develop some wear and tear. Hina, being a firm believer in respecting things her friends hold dear, repairs any doll that comes into her possession with a practiced hand. Without Hina there to fix things, Gensokyo would have long since drowned in misfortune. Everyone must be incredibly grateful to her.

Why do dolls exist? Dolls accumulate misfortune until, eventually, they are thrown away. "I'm your friend," said Hina as she began stitching up a doll using a silver needle and white thread. "Dolls are everyone's friend..." The needle passed in and out of the fabric, making the frayed sections, as well as the doll as a whole, seem softer and more delicate. "...but in the end, they all return to me." Whether born or created, everything has as much reason to exist as a needlessly beautiful applique used to patch up a hole. "Since I'm the one who gathers misfortune," she said with a laugh and hugged the doll gently.