Tango no Sekku (boys festival)

May 5th is Children's Day(the boys festival) in Japan. The day has long been the celebratory day for boys known as Tango no Sekku. On the days around the celebratory day, families with boys display warrior dolls in their homes and fly carp streamers outdoors.

dolls for Boy's Day that has armour and a helmet at Haneda Airport

羽田空港に五月人形・鎧兜 by kawanet /flickr

old warrior dolls in Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture



warrior dolls at Nakayama-dera Temple in Takarazuka City, Hyogo Prefecture

Nakayama-dera Temple by Hyougushi /flickr

 ornamental helmet, used in the Boy's Festival

兜　KABUTO1 by peachykeen103 /flickr

small armor and helmet

R0010599  by duck75 /flickr



Armor of a SAMURAI warrior by MIKI Yoshihito (´･ω･) /flickr

A man in full armor. He is wearing a replica of the warrior helmet worn by Naoe Kanetsugu (直江 兼続,1559-1620) who served Uesugi clan.






























In the Edo Period, samurai families with boys flew their family banners, and commoners with boys hoisted carp streamers(koinobori).


Photo by Yokaphoto.net

banners and carp streamers at Tsuetate Onsen(杖立温泉), Aso-gun, Kumamoto Prefecture


















Recently, we can see a troop of streamers in several areas. Lesser people hoist standard-sized carp streamers. The organizers gather many streamers sitting in closets and hoist them over rivers.


Photo by Yokaphoto.net

carp streamers at Tsuetate Onsen(杖立温泉), Aso-gun, Kumamoto Prefecture


















 typical koinobori
(a pair of arrow-spoked wheels with a ball-shaped spinning vane, colorful streamer like a windsock, black carp(father), red carp(mother), the other carps(sons))


PhoTones Works #188 by PhoTones_TAKUMA /flickr

鯉のぼりセットを組み立てるよー
 by ysishikawa /flickr

folded carp streamers and arrow-spoked wheels














 Oyoge Koinobori Sagamigawa(Swimming carp streamers over the Sagami River), from April 29 to May 5, Kanagawa Prefecture

泳げ鯉のぼり相模川/相模原 by Tranpan23 /flickr

泳げ鯉のぼり相模川/相模原 by Tranpan23 /flickr

泳げ鯉のぼり相模川 by ucb /flickr

Koinobori Festa(1000 carp streamers), from April 22 to May 5, Takatsuki City, Osaka

R0013827 : Carp in the sky by sakura_chihaya+ /flickr

Koinobori Festa

FH000032 by sakura_chihaya+ /flickr

Ikari Dam(五十里ダム) in Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture

五十里ダムの鯉のぼり by kimishowota /flickr

 Swimming carp streamers over the Kamo River(加茂川), from April 13 to May 6, Kamo City, Niigata Prefecture

加茂市の鯉のぼり by kimishowota /flickr

"swimming" carp streamers in the Seto River(瀬戸川), Mochigase-cho, Tottori City, Tottori Prefecture

Lake Ryokusui(緑水湖) in Mochigase-cho, Tottori City, Tottori Prefecture















Swimming carp streamers over the Azuma River in Gunma Prefecture

吾妻川 (1) by Kuruman /flickr

Anamizu-machi, Ishikawa Prefecture

町@石川県穴水町 by *sii /flickr

Fukuro River(袋川), Tottori City, Tottori Prefecture



















Uzuma River, Tochigi City, Tochigi Prefecture

Colorful carp banners / 鯉幟(こいのぼり) by TANAKA Juuyoh (田中十洋) /flickr

Tokyo HDR - 29 by Kabacchi /flickr

 Harumi Pier in Tokyo

































 Tokyo Tower

DSCF8655 by Zengame /flickr

Kusu-machi, Oita Prefecture


Bungo-Mori, , Japan 
by tkikuchi /flickr

                miniature carp streamers

鯉のぼり by naitokz /flickr

Isezaki Mall(伊勢佐木モール) in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture

鯉のぼり by naitokz /flickr