Kites and Kite Flying in Japan.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 462, 12 April 1890, Page 3

Kites and Kite Flying in Japan.

By Professor K. Mitsukuri. As I walk through the streets of New i during the summer holiday season, juvenile delights of my own country are recalled to me by the sight of Japanese kites displayed in several shops, and I am led to suppose that these toys from across the ocean are becoming popular with American lads. If this is the case, there may be some who will like to hear how they are made and the manner in which our young people use them. Kite-flying is one of the best amusements we have, and the boys eagerly wait for New Year’s Day, which, among so many other good things, brings this sport. I do not know what the reason is, but the kite season in Tokio is limited to the winter months, reaching its height in the first part of January. If during that time you should go up to any elevated place you would see hundreds of these playthings in the air. Or if you strolled round the thoroughfares you would meet, once in every little while, the shops at which they are sold. Some of these are mere shanties, put up for the season at odd corners, while others are quite large and imposing establishments. As these latter are perhaps the best places for looking at the different kinds and sizes of kites, suppose I take you to one where I used to buy mine. It is in one of the most populous parts of the city, near the famous temple of Kan da. It used to be the best and largest shop of its kind in Tokio, as I hope it is now. During the summer months it was devoted to fireworks, while kites were sold the rest of the year. As you approach the place you see a queer-looking figure, meant for a cuttlefish, perched on the top of a high pole. This is the sign of a kite store. If you understood the Japanese language you would know why it is so. Our word for kite is the same in sound as the one for cuttlefish. I suppose some waggish kite-maker once tried to show his wit by this pun, and all of his trade ever after have followed the example. This store, to which you were so long in coming, is, like any other in Japan, entirely open to the street, and as you stand in its front you can see all the stock in trade. • The walls and ceiling are covered with all sorts of kites. The interior looks very busy indeed. The master is constantly bringing out new supplies from behind. Several women are engaged in putting strings on kites. Children are standing round with longing eyes. There comes a boy, running, elated to be able to buy a new one. A venerable grandfather brings several children to start them in kite-flying, and is now telling them what exploits he performed when he was young. But the things that will strike you most are, perhaps, the gay pictures and figureson kites. There, on your left, behind the artist who is busy painting a large character, you see a splendid example of the gayest style of kite. Its shape is rectangular, as most of ours are; on it is painted the famous historical fight between Yoshitsune and Benkei; Yoshitsune, the hero of our youth and one of the most celebrated generals Japan has ever had, met one day, while he was still a boy, the giant Benkei on the bridge of Gojo, in Kioto, and after a desperate struggle, by superior skill and agility conquered him and made him his servant for ever. This is one of the commonest subjects for the higher order of painting. The kite I speak of has a most elaborate frame called * shojibone,’ and is about four sheets large. In speaking of the size of a kite we always say so many sheets large, one sheet being about a foot wide by a foot and a half in length. Next to the specimen we have been looking at you see a number of the size of two sheets, and two and a half. Some are painted very dexterously, having generally historical events for the design, while others have only large characters, mostly in purple and red. At the back of the store, facing the street, is a huge structure of eight sheets. On it you see a very spirited picture of the first meeting of Horio and the famous General Taikor The young Horio, dressed in a hunter’s garb, his hair streaming behind him, has just succeeded in getting on the back of a ferocious-looking wild boar, which, mad with rage, is running at full speed, while the bravo sportsman’s uplifted sword is about bo be plunged into the animal. In the packground, Taiko and his suite, who are passing through the mountain on a military expedition, stand on a high rock and look upon the chase with evident admiration and surprise. This kite is perhaps as big as any in Tokio, for those of larger dimensions are forbidden by law. It is said that, once a thief went up on one, as in a balloon, and stole a scale from a golden fish that stood as an ornament on the top of a castle tower. But to return to the shop in front of which we were standing. The right hand wall is covered with cheaper kinds of kites —mostly of two sheets, or even smaller. There is one, however, which is very queer. It is in the shape of a comical face, crowned by a kind of sugar-loaf cap. The tongue hangs out of the mouth like the tail of a kite, and the eyes, made of gilt paste-board, turn round on an axis,and look as if they were alive up in the air, when the sun shines on them and the wind is blowing. Under the 1 ceiling of the store, supported on poles, are columns upon columns of small kites, made to represent birds and servant boys (Yakko - dako). Little children generally begin with these and pass up to the larger. ■’Besides these, you 3ee in the shop a large quantity of lines. They are all graded, some being suited to one sheet kites, while others are to be used with two or four-sheet ones. In a corner lies a heap of straw tails made up in neat bundles. There are also plenty of ‘ unaris,’ which are ingenious contrivances, somewhat like bows, the stiings of which are made of thin rubber, brass, or ratan. They are attached to the backs of kites and produce musical sounds up in the air. Many other articles belonging to kites may be seen, bub it would be too tedious to mention them all. Having made this survey of the shop, let us take a walk through the neighbourhood, and look at boys flying kites. If it were the first part of January you would see gay sights. The front of every house is decorated with pine and bamboo, and looks very neat. Here is a circle of boys and girls in the midst of a game of battledore and shuttlecock, laughing and screaming merrily. There is a group of girls singing to the accompaniment of a bounding ball. But as we are in search of kibes we have no time to examine other attractions. It is pleasant to notice that nobody is afraid to play in the open streets. There are very few horses and waggons, and the drivers take great care fo do the little people no harm. Many children who can scarcely go alone are trotting about with kites of their own size. The larger ones, however, are naturally more interesting. There, high up in the air, is a beautiful specimen,

i with a long, graceful tail, giving out clear sounds from a pair of brass and rubber ‘unaris.’ Its owner seems thoroughly happy and is now trying bo send up a messenger, which, when it gets to a certain height, will burst and scatter bits of variouscoloured paper. Other boys are standing near and looking on admiringly. Bub you will observe that there are, after all, only a few kites floating steadily at a very high elevation. The reason of this is that, though their effect is beautiful at a distance of one or two thousand feet, it grows dull and tiresome after a while bo stand still andgazeatthem, and boys would rather have livelier times. So they adjust the strings of kites in such a way that they will turn a somersault every five feet or so as they ascend. Skilful boys like such best. Most of our kites do nob need any tail, except in high winds, and there is one a little ahead of us that can go up without a tail at any time, by a peculiar arrangement of the bamboo sticks of the frame. It is called ‘hori-riu,’ and is very convenient and compact. You will have noticed by this time that the twosheet kites are commonest. They are the best size for handling—not too small nor too large. _ i Here comes a crowd with three or four! kites which look worn out, and are patched in several places. I know where they are going. Just around the corner there is a large daimio’s quarter, and they mean to have a kite-fight there. I have myself been out with such a party many a time. Let us follow them, and we shall feel well paid for our trouble. The daimio’s place, like others of its kind, is fenced by high walls and is almost a town by itself; and,, of course, there are many children belonging to it. Our crowd having come to a good position outside of the wall yell out the challenge : ‘Oil Oi! Don’t you want to have a fight?’ The boys inside soon answer by sending up a kite, and then the contest begins. The wind to-day blows in such a direction that the inside boys have the advantage, bub the brave outsiders do nob care for that. Two or three of them get to work with their airy weapons, which, to judge from the tears and rents upon them have been used in many a fierce battle. If you look close you will observe that all the equipments are different from those of an ordinary occasion. In the first place, the string is a little yellower. This is the strongest kind, called ‘ iwanai,’ and is always used in kite contests. In the provinces small bibs of glass are stuck into the lines, but this is seldom done in the capital. It is too dangerous, and requires a great deal of care in preparation. Then you will see that near the kites they have sharp cutting knives attached to the cords. This is, of course, to cut the enemy’s strings. By this time the kites on both sides are fully up and ready for a plunge at any moment. All the flyers are, however, cautious, and spend a great deal of time in Suddenly a breeze comes up and one of our kites is sent far into the enemy’s region. One of theirs, nothing loath, plunges right in and engages our adventurer. Both parties draw in their lines as fast as they can, and the kites, entangled with each other, fall on the roof of the long building. If you were then sufficiently above the ground to get a bird’seye view, you would see a comical sight. On each side of the house four or five boys arß hanging on to the end of their line and pulling with all their might. It is a desperate moment. The struggle lasts for a minute or two, but finally the enemy’s line breaks and our boys haul in their kites. Then such a shout of victory goes up ! Instantly, to tease our opponents, the very kite which has been, till now, flying inside, i- launched from without, perhaps only to be retaken. And so the battle waxes hotter and hotter. What fun it was ! I have not told you half the delight 1 used to take in it. And it was always our rule not to allow any angry or impatient feelings bo beshown. If a boy gave signs of losing his temper he was made to understand that he was nob wanted in our friendly warfare. You may travel all over Japan and never see the merry strifes of the children disgraced by ugly violence or unkindness or cruelty : and that, I think, is a very good thing to be able to say of any country on the face of the earth.