Koinobori (鯉のぼり), meaning'carp streamer' in Japanese, arecarp-shapedwindsocks traditionally flown in Japan to celebrateTango no sekku (端午の節句), a traditional calendrical event which is now designated asChildren's Day (子供の日,Kodomo no hi), a national holiday in Japan.[1]Koinobori are made by drawing carp patterns on paper, cloth, or other nonwoven fabric. They are then allowed to flutter in the wind. They are also known assatsuki-nobori (皐のぼり).
Children's Day takes place on May 5, the last day ofGolden Week, the largest break for workers and also a week in which many businesses, state schools, and some private schools close for up to 9–10 days for the designated national holidays. Landscapes across Japan are decorated withkoinobori from April to early May, in honor of children for a good future and in the hope that they will grow up healthy and strong.
Thekoinobori is included inUnicode asU+1F38F 🎏CARP STREAMER.[2]
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A typicalkoinobori set consists of, from the top of the pole down, a pair of arrow-spoked wheels (矢車,yaguruma) with a ball-shaped spinningvane, a mountingwindsock (吹流し,fukinagashi), and finally thekoinobori. For the windsock above thekoinobori, two main kinds are used: the five-colored windsock (五色吹流し), based on thefive elements of Chinese philosophy, and patterned windsocks (柄物吹流し), often featuring amon (家紋, family crest).[3] The number and meaning of the carp streamers orkoinobori that fly beneath the windsock has changed over time. Traditionally, the set would contain a blackkoinobori representing the father, followed by a smaller, redkoinobori representing his eldest son. This is why, according to the Japanese American National Museum, in the traditional "children's song," the red one (higoi) represents the eldest son. If more boys were in the household, an additional blue, green, and then, depending on the region, either purple or orangekoinobori were added. After the government's decree that converted Boy's Day (Tango no Sekku) into the present Children's Day (Kodomo no Hi), the holiday came to celebrate the happiness of both boys and girls. As a result, the redkoinobori came to represent the mother of the family and it is not uncommon for the color to be varied as pink. Similarly, the other colors and sizes of carp came to represent all the family's children, both sons and daughters.
At present, thekoinobori are commonly flown above the roofs of houses with children, with the biggest (black)koinobori for the father, next biggest (red or pink) for the mother, and additional smaller carps of a different color for each child in decreasing order by age.
Koinobori range from a few centimetres to a few metres long. In 1988, a 100 m (330 ft) longkoinobori weighing 350 kg (770 lb) was made inKazo, Saitama.[4]
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Koinobori have been in use since the 18th century. During theEdo period (1603–1867),samurai households began to decorate their yards withnobori orfukinuke (吹貫) flags, which were colored withmon (family crests) to represent military units, duringTango no Sekku. Thenobori andfukinuke were then merged, and the firstkoinobori appeared inEdo (nowTokyo). The colorfulkoinobori as they are modernly known became popular in theMeiji era (1868–1912).[5][6]
Though originally exclusive to samurai households, they eventually reached the rest of the population. They were traditionally flown as part of the Japanese Boys' Day, with one carp for each son, while girls found a counterpart to this custom inhinamatsuri 'Doll's Day'. However, after the redesignation of May 5th as Children's Day in 1948, some families began flying koi for every child, regardless of gender.[7][8][9] Despite this, the connection between thekoinobori and male children remains, and many families still do not fly them for their daughters. Thekoi, known for its ability to swim upstream, represents courage, determination, and the hope that children will grow up healthily.[9][10] This symbolism pays homage to the myth oflongmen from the lateHan dynasty, that a golden koi fish swam up a waterfall at the end of theYellow River and became adragon.[11][12]
The number ofkoinobori included on a pole and the variety of their colors have increased over time to accommodate more family members. They were originally made by hand-painting materials such as paper or cloth, but these have almost entirely fallen out of use in favour of synthetics, outside of some rural areas.[10] Silk and paper models are still sold, but at a higher price than the synthetics.[9]
RelatedTango no sekku traditions include kite-flying,kite-fighting, the display of samurai dolls and miniatureJapanese armor and helmets (kabuto) in the home, the bathing withiris in the bathtub, the consumption ofKashiwa mochi (sticky rice cakes wrapped in oak leaves) andshōbu-sake (sake soaked with thinly sliced iris root and leaves), and, in some areas, the tradition of making young boys crawl through thekoinobori for good fortune.[8][5][6] As a tradition, throughout Children's Day, children also thank and show respect for relatives, parents, and teachers for support throughout their life.[7]
A famouskoinobori song often sung by children and their families. It was published inEhon shōka haru no maki (Picture Songbook, Spring) in 1932. The lyrics are by Miyako Kondō (近藤宮子).[13] The composer is unknown.
| Original Japanese:[14] 屋根より 高い 鯉のぼり | Rōmaji: yane yori takai koinobori | English translation: Higher than the roof-tops are the koinobori |
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Media related toKoinobori at Wikimedia Commons