On May 5, Japan celebrates “Tango no Sekku,” more commonly known as “Children’s Day.” All over Japan, you will see homes flying wind socks in the shape of a carp, a fish revered for its hardiness, able to swim up waterfalls and survive in stagnant ponds. Originally a Heian-period court ritual to distribute medicinal irises as a protection against illness, over time the festival became a day to pray for healthy boys.
In the 16th century, the lord of Hamamatsu castle decided to celebrate the birth of a healthy son by staging a kite battle. This evolved into one of our favorite festivals in Japan, Tako-Gassen, a battle of gigantic kites waged on the sand dunes of Hamamatsu. This seaside city is bypassed by tourists at other times of the year (unless one has business with Yamaha Corporation or a taste for unagi eel, raised in Hamana-ko, a large lagoon), but fortunately, the city is easy to visit, less than two hours from Tokyo on the Shinkansen bullet train.
The epic kite battles take place from May 3-5 each year. Hundreds of giant kites, measuring 3.5 meters on a side, spar on the beach, wrangled by teams of townspeople garbed in matching happi coats, diligently working the heavy twine kite strings to keep their kite aloft while attempting to cut down their opponents’ kites by rubbing strings against each other. Bands of musicians beat drums and blow horns, making a terrific din to keep spirits high. At night, the city streets fill with a hundred floats festooned with lanterns and carrying live musicians playing traditional instruments.
Shuttle buses from Hamamatsu station ferry spectators to the festival site—but first pick up a lunch box at the station of Hamamatsu's famous broiled eel (unagi bentō). Hamamatsu can be visited as a day-trip from Tokyo or Kyoto. If you prefer to lodge overnight, the city offers hotels in all price ranges, but reserve well in advance during festival season.
For more information about visiting Hamamatsu, download Gateway to Japan Digital Edition, by June Kinoshita and Sean Landis, 2016. Available exclusively at https://gatewaytojapanguide.com/
Photo credit: Dozens of giant kites battle for supremacy during the Hamamatsu Tako-Gassen. Photo courtesy of Shizuoka Prefectural Tourism Association. CC BY-SA 2.1 jp.
