annual festivals

© JAPAN-PHOTO-ARCHIV

kodomo-no-hi こどもの日  tango-no-sekku 端 午の節句
children´s day - May 5

On this national holiday families with young boys display samurai dolls called musha ningyô or gogatsu-ningyô, patterned after historical warriors and heroes, to pray for success in life. A set of armour, helmet and other things the samurai used to carry during wartime are displayed. Days and weeks before Children´s Day families put up koinobori (carp streamer) in their yard. There is a legend that carps swim up waterfalls and become dragons.


samurai doll = musha ningyô / gogatsu ningyô


carp streamer = koinobori











J 264 050
carp streamers = koinobori - Lake Biwa
kodomo-no-hi / annual festivals

J 208 431
koinobori - Beppu City
kodomo-no-hi / annual festivals
J 204 070
koinobori - Tôkyô
kodomo-no-hi / annual festivals
J 209 245
koinobori - country side
kodomo-no-hi / annual festivals