Yabai

                                                                                      Yabai   

                                                         Takomatsuri and Kite Fighting: A History   


Kites have been around for quite some time now, having purportedly been invented in China during the fifth century. This statement is disputed by historians who insist that flying kites is something people have done for over two millennia. Initially, the Chinese used a fine article like silk, which was plentiful in that region, lined with bamboo. The men who supposedly invented it are named Lu Ban (or Gongshu Ban and Mozi (sometimes pronounced Mo Di). Others say that a kite was used by a Chinese General named Han Hsien in 200 BC, to aid him to surprise attack an oppressive Emperor in a rebel raid. As time went on, and ancient civilizations traded with each other, the invention of kites made their way to different nations - initially those in Asia. Thailand, Korea, Japan, and India among other Asian nations, established their own style of kites, as western countries caught on the trend as well.
   
China heavily influenced Japan during its infant years, so that's how kites were introduced to Japan. Buddhist monks who would travel from China to Japan would bring all sorts of cultural factors that would play major roles in Japan's society, such as language, religion, and inventions - and one of those was the kite. In Japanese 'kite' is pronounced as tako and written as kanji symbol. Kites were made to aid in the construction of buildings, lifting carpentry materials up to rooftops. They were also used in religious practices and were incorporated in many mythological legends. Some of these legends are very grandiose, telling stories of men who would ride kites to visit their lonely sons in faraway islands, while others spoke of a thief who flew up to the roof of Nagoya Castle to steal the golden scales of the statue of a dolphin perched on top. The story does not have a happy conclusion - he was caught because he had been boasting about this act, and his entire family was boiled in oil.     

Ever - progressing technology has aided in developing the kite to fly more efficiently and to be used for purposes both important and recreational. Kites have so far been used as a lift to carry people off the ground, signals for the military, tools to test winds, a means of rescuing people, as a distance measurer, and so much more. As for recreational purposes, aside from the fun with simply stringing a kite along, there are several competitions that involve the creation of kites, and the mastery of manipulating kites. There's aerial ballet, for example, where sports kites are made to follow certain patterns of movement simultaneously to put up a show. A more aggressive recreational kite sport that is famous and often celebrated is kite fighting.     

The kite fighting sport originates in India. These fighting kites are called patang and were used in competitions during festivals and celebrations. Indian kite fighting then made its way to other Asian countries through trade. Dutch traders are believed to be the one who brought the sport to Japan and then to western nations.   

Unlike the usual, traditional kites which can be large, graceful, and colorful, kites used for fighting are lightweight, volatile, and quick to follow each calculated tug. The point of this competition is for one kite to successfully wrap around the other, and cut the string off the opponents kite. The strings that hoist the flags up have glass that coats their lines, making it easier to slice the opponents string off compared to normal kites. Aside from cutting the string itself, another kite fighting competition involves dragging the entire kite down with yours. The kites used here are much bigger, though, with each large kite being maneuvered by an entire team of people.       

One fighter kite, traditionally formed, constructed with washi paper and bamboo, and possesses six sides is the Rokkaku Dako. The Rokkaku Dako is shaped as a hexagon, vertically upright, that bends with the wind. Its bridle has four points, while a spar runs down vertically, crossed by two more spars, somewhat forming the letter I. There are three strings that hold each end (amounting to six in total), shortly joining together to form the tail. The kite usually has designs and paintings on them, commonly of well known samurai, myths, and legends.     

The Nagasaki Hata kite resembles the more popular idea of what a kite looks like. It is diamond shaped and easy to fly. This is the kite that historians suspect was influenced to the Japanese by Dutch traders. These kites come in many different colors, patterns, and illustrations. The Buka kite, which is less popular, is made from bamboo spars and lightweight washi, has a two point bridle and is rectangular in shape. There is no design that is native to the Buka kite, so it encompasses many.     

Takomatsuri is a Nejiroan national holiday and occurs annually on May 1, it is the first festival of Golden Week. in Hilo there are several different fight competitions, and residents prepare for this exciting event long beforehand by making their own kites and designing them themselves. The first competition is a team competition that battles head to head on the banks of the Canawa River in Sunrise Meadows Park in the Downtown ward. These kites measure about seven meters by three meters large, and usually have a mascot or symbol painted on them to represent the team. Many of these teams are formed by students from local high schools and colleges, and also by members of law enforcement, militia, emergency services, and public safety units that are taken very seriously. Because of the windy weather that accompanies May and the flow of the Canawa River, the direction that the wind blows aids in the heated entanglement of the kite strings. The tug of war thus ensues, as the winner of this competition is the team that successfully yanks the other kite towards a certain mark suspended over the river in their direction. The battle grounds for more traditional kite fighting, with string cutting and blow - by - blow commentary of the attacks, are across the river and during heated moments between participants in the competition, you might even see some of them walk into the river just to regain control of their kite, and steer it away from other players - or let it dive straight into theirs. These kites must measure 1.65 meters by 1.35 meters and have a gagari {sharp metal} on their kite string to aid in cutting off the opponents kite. The last competition is an aerial ballet competition between teams that is judged on choreography and synchronicity. There are also giant kites filled with inscriptions of names of those newly born launched to bless them in the coming years. During the windiest part of the day kites measuring three and a half meters by three and a half meters are launched tightly together, trying to cut one another with friction. There are kites flown just for the pleasure of seeing them fly. Koinbori, carp streamers, are flown to symbolize the strength the fish portray when they swim against the current in their day to day lives, a representation of how ideally strong and progressive a Nejiroan man should grow to be in all aspects of his life. There is a parade of one hundred yatai or floats at sundown, traditional festival music is audible everywhere, and people march with gusto around the streets. A festival is not complete without stalls of food that you can pick from for snacks or meals, karaage and udon are especially popular at this time.       

There are many websites that teach you how to build a kite if you really want to get into it and create one yourself. It's easy to order the parts, and get digital instruction sheets on how to go about them, depending on which kind of kite style you choose. Most seasons are ideal for flying kites - perhaps the time most difficult to fly is April because of the many rain showers across most of the continent of Tairiku. Summer, usually July, August, and September, with great visibility, and clear skies, and air is the most popular time to fly. December and January hold cooler temperatures, but if you can brave the cold when the sun is out, flying is a 'cool' experience. Kite fighting can be fun and is a great cultural sport to bond with friends and family. There are dozens of kite flying and fighting school clubs, also amateur, and professional teams for those who become passionate.