Fishes in the Sky

Between April and May, it is time to let the carps flow. Until May 5th - Children’s Day - the koinobori waves through the wind on the top of houses where there are boys living in. Among many provinces in Japan, there are also giant fishes or great shoal festivals going on.

Koinobori handicraft atelier in Kazo City

This stylish carp, which looks like a type of a kite, it is hanged in masts on gardens, balconies and even on rivers. By this way, it wishes and brings welfare and courages through the children’s life path. Then, during begin of May, there are many of these flowing in front of the houses. Even here, in the neighborhood of Hirakatashi we could see them not only in the houses but in some temples as well.

This habit had grown during the Edo Period (1603~1868), based on a chinese myth about a carp that was transformed in a dragon after a tumultuous River named Ryumon. Chinese people usually associate the dragon as a symbolic representation for power: people who are detached from fear, break the walls and hardness are blessed by success. Under this influence, the japanese, wishing a successful life for their children, set the koinobori as higher as they can seeking to imitate the carp’s vigorous movement.





“If more boys are in the household, an additional blue, green and then purple koinobori are added. The red koinobori's color can be varied as orange or pink. These carp sets are flown above the roofs of houses with sons, with the biggest (black) koinobori for the father, next biggest (red) for the mother, and ranging down to the smallest carp for the youngest son.” ( Wikipedia )

A temple in Tokyo with its koinobori

The koinobori are also a part of japanese handicraft and it shows bright beautiful colors and interesting shapes, made on coarse cotton cloth and handmade drawings. However, nowadays you can find synthetic ones although many people, specially foreign come to Japan still looking for the old style.