thumb|upright=1.3| at [[Chizu, Tottori with a patterned windsock at the top]]
, meaning in Japanese, are carp-shaped windsocks traditionally flown in Japan to celebrate , a traditional calendrical event which is now designated as , a national holiday in Japan. 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 as .
Children's Day takes place on May 5, the last day of Golden 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 with 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.
The is included in Unicode as .
Description
thumb|right| with a five-color windsock at the top
A typical set consists of, from the top of the pole down, a pair of with a ball-shaped spinning vane, a mounting , and finally the . For the windsock above the , two main kinds are used: the , based on the five elements of Chinese philosophy, and , often featuring a . The number and meaning of the carp streamers or that fly beneath the windsock has changed over time. Traditionally, the set would contain a black representing the father, followed by a smaller, red representing his eldest son. This is why, according to the Japanese American National Museum, in the traditional "children's song," the red one () represents the eldest son. If more boys were in the household, an additional blue, green, and then, depending on the region, either purple or orange were added. After the government's decree that converted into the present , the holiday came to celebrate the happiness of both boys and girls. As a result, the red 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, the are commonly flown above the roofs of houses with children, with the biggest (black) 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.
range from a few centimetres to a few metres long. In 1988, a long weighing was made in Kazo, Saitama.
History
thumb|[[Ukiyo-e showing . One of the series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo by Utagawa Hiroshige. 1857, Edo period]]
thumb|, and . "Japanese Festival in Honor of the Birth of Children" from Sketches of Japanese Manners and Customs, by J.M.W. Silver, illustrated by native drawings, published in London in 1867
have been in use since the 18th century. During the Edo period (1603–1867), samurai households began to decorate their yards with or flags, which were colored with (family crests) to represent military units, during . The and were then merged, and the first appeared in Edo (now Tokyo). The colorful as they are modernly known became popular in the Meiji era (1868–1912).
thumb|"Fish kites", , 1911
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 in '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. Despite this, the connection between the and male children remains, and many families still do not fly them for their daughters. The koi, known for its ability to swim upstream, represents courage, determination, and the hope that children will grow up healthily. This symbolism pays homage to the myth of longmen from the late Han dynasty, that a golden carp swam up a waterfall at the end of the Yellow River and became a dragon.
The number of 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.
song
A famous song often sung by children and their families. It was published in in 1932. The lyrics are by Miyako Kondō (). The composer is unknown.
Gallery
<gallery>
File:lots of koinobori.jpg| flying in Oboke Koboke, Iya Valley, Tokushima Prefecture
File:Koinobori-various-2015.ogv|A large selection of in Higashishirahige Park, 2015
File:Tegakikoinobori.jpg|Factory for large hand-made
File:Haguro Shinto shrine sanctuary.JPG|At Haguro Shinto shrine, Kurashiki
File:Pg flyncarp.JPG|Paragliding with
File:Ashiya-machi, Onga-gun, Fukuoka Prefecture - Koinobori (1).jpg| at a rural home, 1955
</gallery>
See also
- Dragon Boat Festival