Carp Streamers (koinobori)

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Carp Streamers (koinobori, Japan)

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: Early Summer, May 5
***** Category: Observance

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Explanation


Photo Gabi Greve, 2007
Click HERE for more of my photos !


Related kigo:

Gogatsu koi (carps of May) 五月鯉
"rising flag", nobori 幟 (のぼり)
flags in May, gotatsu nobori 五月幟（さつきのぼり）
..... satsuki nobori 皐月幟（さつきのぼり）
displaying the flag, nobori kazaru 幟飾る（のぼりかざる）
This can be inside the home with small flags or outside in the garden.

flags in the garden, soto nobori 外幟（そとのぼり）
flags in the home, uchi nobori 内幟（うちのぼり）
flags made of paper, kami nobori 紙幟（かみのぼり）
flags in the living room, zashiki nobori 座敷幟（ざしきのぼり）

first flag (for a boy just born), hatsu nobori
初幟（はつのぼり）


fukinagashi, fukinuke (floating in the air)　吹流し
ya-guruma (wheel with arrow-shaped spokes) 矢車
long pole for the flag, nobori zao 幟竿（のぼりざお）





Fukinagashi（吹流し）



The first streamer with colorful stripes. This one is of five lucky colors, but sometimes they are made of red and white (koohaku 紅白) only, another auspicious combination.　These streamers were used during battle in olden times to indicate the whereabouts of a brave warriour.

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http://www.joaf.co.jp/koi-nbori/koi-11-kogata-set-nylon/jpg/torisetu-1.jpg

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Ya-guruma 矢車
The two wheels with arrow-shaped spokes, symbols of warfare, are attached to the top of the pole. When the wind blows through these arrows, it makes a particular sound and drives the wheel around, giving special life to the carps below. At night, the carp streamers are usually taken inside, but the arrow-wheels are left. Even on a windless day they make a slight sound to wear off evil throughout the otherwise silent night in the countryside.

http://www.joaf.co.jp/koi-nbori/koi-11-kogata-set-nylon/koi-kogata-set-nylon-.htm

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Koinobori, Carp Streamers
Also called “Carp Windsocks”, “Carp Flags”.
All over Japan you will see this koinobori (carp streamers) flying in the wind, sometimes as early as from March until the 5th day of the 5th month. The 5th of May is called "Children's Day" in Japan. Since the Edo period, on this day parents who have a newborn baby boy celebrate their son's birth by flagging carp streamers. You can see carp streamers flying in the sky here and there and in all colors and sizes, especially in the countryside of Japan.

The carp is an old Chinese symbol of endurance, peserverance and fortitude, also success in a good career and people in Japan began to fly carp streamers to wish their child future success.
When the fish carp flow upstream, they use all their physical power to jump over obstacles, even waterfalls.

Until the Meiji peroid, the flags would be of paper, but nowadays they are of cloth or plastic and very vividly colored. During the Edo period, it was only allowed to the warriour class to fly these streamers.
Nowadays, when you see them floating in the crisp spring air, you know a boy has been born to this family and somehow the joy of them fills your own heart.

Some LINKS to see the koinobori in the Japanese landscape.


http://f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/gabigreve2000/detail?.dir=/4bd4&.dnm=571b.jpg
http://www.bekkoame.ne.jp/~kirium/others/history/000505Lim.html
http://e-shinrin.net/site/page/area/aso/topics/asotushin/2004/20040402/
http://www.bunbun.ne.jp/~ankou/weekphoto/03-spring.html#KAWAKAMI

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Boy's Festival, tango no sekku
端午の節句（たんごのせっく）

Tango no sekku is a traditional Japanese event observed on May 5th as a celebration for boys' talisman and health. Families including boys observe it, displaying yoroikabuto (an armor), gogatsuninngyou (dolls for the Boys' Festival), or koinobori (carp-shaped streamers). Although this tradition has continued to this day, after World War May 5th started to be called "children's day". It is observed as a holiday recognizing children's (boys and girls) happiness.

Tango no sekku was originally a custom brought from ancient China. In China, May has long been regarded as a month of evil spirits. So events for driving them away were widespread in May. At first, this special day was not always on May 5th, but eventually it settled on the day. As for Japan, during the Nara period (710-794) five seasonal events (jinjitsu, joushi, tanogo, tanabata, chouyou) were introduced. At that time, the five seasonal events were observed by aristocrats as important events to ward off one's own sins during the turning point of each season. And then, they spread to the samurai (warrior) families. During the Edo period, since the feudal government designated May 5th as an important day, it also became popular among common people, and it came to be observed widely in Japan.

Read more HERE
©　JPN-MIYABI


Related kigo:

Seasonal festival in May, gogatsu no sekku
五月の節句（ごがつのせっく）
seasonal festival of the iris, shoobu no sekku
菖蒲の節句（しょうぶのせっく）
ayame no sechi-e 菖蒲の節会（あやめのせちえ）

"double five", fifth month fifth day, choogo 重五（ちょうご）
day of the iris, ayame no hi 菖蒲の日（あやめのひ）

first seasonal festival, hatsu sekku
初節句（はつせっく）
First for a boy just born the year before.


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Here is more about the carp as an animal:

The CARP Cyprinus carpio
The carp can become quite large, up to 120 cm long with a weight of 25-30 kg. It is silvery, with the back darker than the belly. The fins are greyish-green, the tail fin has two distinct lobes. There are 4 threads on the upper lip of the mouth.The carp prefers to live in stagnant or slowly flowing water with many plants and a sandy or muddy bottom. It feeds on plant material as well as on small animals such as insect larvae, molluscs and crustaceans. Larger carp also hunt small fish and salamanders.The carp is most active at dusk. Breeding takes place from April to July, depending on water temperature.

Symbolism:
In the Far East the carp is a symbol of good luck and a long life. In mythology it is a riding animal and messenger of the gods. In some stories a message or seal is found in a carp's stomach. In Japan and also in China it is a symbol of intelligence and also of courage and endurance because it swims against the flow of the river. The Bambara of Sudan consider it a symbol of both material and spiritual fecundity.

Carp in a dream:
Seeing a carp in a dream is considered to be a sign of good luck. A carp in a dream can sometimes speak; when this happens it is believed that your soul is trying to speak to your conscious self.
http://www.dierinbeeld.nl/animal_files/fish/carp/

http://f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/gabigreve2000/detail?.dir=/4bd4&.dnm=194e.jpg&

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Worldwide use

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Things found on the way

"Pictorial Banners in the Edo Period"
Japan Folk Crafts Museum,


KOI, Carps as Kimono Patterns


"Koi" (Carp) is what we call the head of fish-water fish because of its grand figure in the water. So it's true that there are some anglers who end up putting their fishing rods aside and admire the fish swimming so gracefully. Then they'd always go "I should have caught it before the fish swim out of view..." "Koi" has wild aspects as well. Once the fish puts on full stream, you'll be astonished by the speed and a lot of splash. I hope you'll see "Koi" swimming against the rushing stream with your own eyes. I wonder if you've ever see "Koi" swimming up a waterfall like in the pattern of Kimono. There might be some exaggeration, but people would picture that pattern for the wish of "success in life".

That was especially put into young boys and there is a special day for them, 5th of May, the day we put up carp streamers called "Koi-Nobori"(which is on sale). But now let me tell you that there's another special day for young girls as well on the 3rd of March, the day on which we set up dolls in various Kimono costumes and girls get dressed in Kimono they are proud of.
http://www.yamatoku.jp/classic/topic.asp

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HAIKU

kaze fukeba kuru ya tonari no koi-nobori

when the wind blows
they come this way, neighbours
carp streamers

Takahama Kyoshi

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The following LINK has some famous and international ku connected with this subject. Carp streamers even in Honolulu. I just copy some of them here:
http://haiku.cc.ehime-u.ac.jp/~shiki/shiki.archive/html/9706/0297.html

bright banners in May
flapping in the gusts --
neighbors stop to stare
…..Zeyda-

Carp streamers
Over Honolulu
Where East meets West.
…..Takashi

Out off the closet
Carp hoisted high, black and scarlet-
Waft of mothballs.
…..Takashi

Son was born at last
After the two daughters-
Carp streamers.
…..Takashi

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Some old masters' haiku:

ki gakurete meiyo no ie no nobori kana
Buson

Hidden among the trees
The house of honour-
The streamers.

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kojiki machi towa miezarishi nobori kana
Issa

The slums
don't look like that－
the streamers

Here I want to add one episode of my experience with the carp streamers. A poor farmer in the neighbourhood finally had his first son born, father almost 50 years. So they bought the most expensive carp streamer for more than twothousand dollars and put it up in front of the house, where the money would have been better spend repairing the roof. But that could wait, the joy and honour showing the boy’s birth was much bigger.
That is the atmosphere Issa wants to express, I think.

Gabi Greve

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Related words

***** Golden Week
oogon shuukan 黄金週間 (おうごんしゅうかん)
goorudin uiiku ゴールデンウィーク

National Holidays of Japan WKD Reference

The end of April through around May 5th is called "Golden Week" in Japan since there are a couple of holidays during this time. Many businesses close for about a week to 10 days depending on the calender. Many people take a vacation and travel around the country or abroad.

April 29: Midori-no-hi (Greenery Day)、now SHOWA DAY
May 3 : Kenpoo-kinenbi (Constitution Memorial Day)
May 4 : Midori-no-hi Green Day (Greenery Day)
May 5 : Kodomo-no-hi (Children's Day)

gooruden uiiku daidokoro ni wa sara no yama

.. .. .. Golden Week -
.. .. .. in the kitchen
.. .. .. a mountain of plates

Gabi Greve, Monday May 9, 2005, after so many visitors for almost two weeks ...


Golden Week -
the mind cluttered
by trivia

Gabi Greve, May 1, 2008


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***** Kodomo no Hi - Children's Day, May 5th.

On this day, Japanese families pray for the healthy growth of children. Children's Day is also called Tangono-sekku, and historically it was the day to celebrate and pray for the health of boys. Japanese families with boys hang up carp streamers (Koinobori) outside and display May dolls (Gogatsu Ningyo) inside their houses.
http://gojapan.about.com/cs/japaneseholidays/a/goldenweek.htm



Carp streamers and terraced rice fields
© Gabi Greve, 2007

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Carp (higoi, koi) family Cyprinidae fish Goldfisch, Karpfen




Kintaro, the Golden Boy, on a Carp Streamer
Photo Gabi Greve


Kintaro, the Golden Boy
Daruma Museum


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