Some Fighter Kites:
The Rokkaku dako(六角凧) is a traditional six-sided Japanese fighter kite. Traditionally, it is made with bamboo spars and washi paper. The rokkaku kite is often hand painted with the face of a famous Samurai.
The rokkaku kite is often used for kite aerial photography and in atmospheric science, thanks to its large surface area and simple construction.
The Rokkaku is 1-2m high hexagonal kite fought with teams of players flying each kite. Both the Rokkaku and the smaller rectangular Buka have been adopted and further developed by western kite enthusiasts.
Some Festivals:
In June every year, Shirone city hosts the week long Giant Kite Festival (takomatsuri). Opposing teams formed by residents battles across the Nakanogichi River using giants kites. The kites are hand made and painted by the team members for the entire year preceding the event. Each kite measures about 7m x 3m and typically sports a portrait of a renown samurai, local figure, or mascot signifying the area or team sponsor.
Hamamatsu Festival, held from May 3 through May 5 each year, is well known for Takoage Gassen, or the kite fight, and luxuriously decorated palace-like floats. The festival originated about 430 years ago, when the lord of Hamamatsu Castle celebrated the birth of his first son by flying kites. In the Meiji Era, the celebration of the birth of a first son by flying Hatsu Dako, or the first kite, became popular, and this tradition has survived in the form of Hamamatsu Festival. It is extremely exciting to see over 160 large kites flying in the sky to the sound of bugles. Those who visit Hamamatsu at this time of the year can experience the city at its most exciting time.During the nights of Hamamatsu Festival, people parade downtown carrying over 70 yatai, or palace-lake floats, that are beautifully decorated while playing Japanese traditional festival music. The festival reaches its peak when groups of people compete by violently marching across town.
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