 |
Tako in the sky with Diamonds |
|
| Early Tangled
Beginnings
The basics elements remain for all Japanese tako. Not a friendly, by chance meeting Who is in
control? |
 by Edo Fackler
No, the title of this article is not some mistakenly translated Beetles lyric found on a karaoke box in Roppongi. It is a description a fine piece of Japanese culture. If you are like most people in Japan, yes, Japanese included, you have very definite ideas about what constitutes official, kimono clad, Japanese culture. In fact I have met countless teachers in my 11 years here who have told me that one of the reasons they chose Japan over other countries for teaching was that they were drawn here by _______. (Fill in the blank with any of the following: sushi, karate, kabuki theater, lacquer ware, aikido, Buddhism, fine pottery, manga.) What I have never heard anyone say is that they have come to Japan for its kites. Which is somewhat amazing as the kite in Japan is as old a tradition as many of the better-known forms of art. Early, tangled beginnings
The word for kite in Japanese is tako. It has the same sound as
the word for octopus but they use different Kanji or Chinese pictograms. Many people believe
that tako, came by way of China and Korea. In any case the earliest
recorded case of tako in Japan is in the 7th century A.D. The
Kanji for tako 凧bears
more than a passing resemblance to the kanji for kaze (wind)
風.
It is agreed that the size and shape of these first tako were
small and simple. Not much more than a few sticks and some paper held
together by glue and string. As time passed and tako flew their way
across the face of Honshu, the people of Japan made the tako their own
with the size, shape and style morphing dramatically. In Aichi
prefecture kites
are shaped like bees.
The
basics elements remain for all Japanese tako.
Take 竹(bamboo)
makes up the bones of the kite. It can be split and formed into almost
any shape by
Washi 和紙(rice paper) makes up the skin of all traditional
Japanese tako. As washi is hand made, and limited in size to about half
a sq. meter it often the most costly component of the kite.
The painting starts with the black ink or sumi-e 墨江, used to
set the design of the kite. Sumi-e also serves to prevent the vivid
colors from running as when they are added later. All painting is done
before the take is applied to the washi. When to flyApart
from the obvious, “when the wind is blowing” response, there are two
main times when you can guarantee to see kites in sky. The first is on
Oshogatsu (New Year’s). It has baffled me for some time as to who’s
bright idea it was to go out and stand in freezing cold weather with a
kite sting in hand just to celebrate the new year, but it is done. The
second time is during Golden week April 29-May 5. This of course is much
more suitable weather and is the time when Japan celebrates children’s
day on May 5. It is during this week that several of the larger kite
festivals take place. Not a friendly, by chance meeting
While
no doubt the first kites in Japan and other
Two
words: Kite Fights. The
most famous of these take place in Hamamatsu 浜松, Shirone
白根 and Ikazaki 五十崎. At
these tako gasen (kite engaments) teams of between five and a hundred
compete by throwing a single tako into the sky. They do this knowing it
is a certifiable fact that what they have spent months creating is going
to be ripped to shreds. As soon as one tako is destroyed the team rushes
to send another to take its place. While
all of the kite fights across Japan involve combat in the sky, as with
other aspects of kites in Japan, each town’s fighting is special. In Ikazaki,
Matsuyama,
special razor blade fittings are attached a few meters below the
tako and are used to cut the lines of opponents. In Hamamatsu, Shizuoka,
on a huge plain, 2 to 3 million, yes million, people work in
small groups to tangle their flying lines with those of other teams and
then use a sawing motion to friction-cut the other teams’ lines. In
both festivals, points are awarded for the number of kites you
“kill.” In Hamamatsu the field of fighting makes a battle scene
from Braveheart look like one of my Aunt Carol's garden parties. Why are their coats Happi?
I used to think that the
reason that the Japanese wore these brightly colored over-garments was
to express their group individuality. (Yes, I know this is an oxymoron.)
That,... they wanted to be unique, just like all their friends. If you
have attended even a small sampling of matsuri you have surely seen
these bright cotton tops. In my opinion,
From painful experience I have since learned that there is a much more practical reason for their colorful existence: Survival. With out team colors to wear, it is impossible to know who your mates are and whom are your enemies. Happi coats at kite festivals, like the ones at Hamamatsu and Shirone are less about culture and more about, not getting run over. Picture this. At
Shirone, along the banks of the Nakanoguchi River, all flying and combat
takes place atop a levy about 4 meters wide. This is method of flood
prevention is pretty normal for
Japan. On one side of the levy you have a steep drop-off that leads
straight into the swiftly moving current of the Nakanoguchi.
Here, thousands of spectators sit in “safety” while kites
swoop, climb and dive, sometimes into the faithful. (This is how my
Nikon F4 ended up at the bottom of the Nakanoguchi river.) On the side of the levy
away from the river, you have temporary stands / pavilions assembled out of
iron pipes and plywood with some nice sharp points and rough edges to
not only catch a kite on but upon which to impale oneself. The actual
flying area, lodged between these crowded sides of the levy is in the form
of a 150-meters Yes, pandemonium has found a new definition. Who is in
control?
Organized kiting in Japan is controlled by the Japan Kite Association. Based in the heart of Tokyo, they exist to keep the art of tako alive in Japan. Unfortunately, as with other cultural and country-specific rituals and rites, kiting is on the verge of extinction. Many of the master builders and fliers in Japan are in the autumn of their years and have few if any apprentices will can take over when they are gone. There is a very real danger that in the coming years that many of the tako that grace the skies of Japan will fly no more. For now you can still check out this fine fun and traditional art form at the locations below.
Schedule of upcoming major kite festivalsUchinada,
Ishikawa –Held on the beaches outsides of Kanazawa. The first day is
reserved for sports kite competition. The second day is mainly single
line kites with kite makers from all over the world. (May 3, 4) Hamamatsu,
Shizuoka – The largest gathering of kite fighting in the world.
(During Golden Week) Saitama
- Showa Huge kite festival (May 3 & 5) Yokaichi,
Shiga – The world’s largest kites (May 26) Shirone, Niigata – Five days of beauty, competition and destruction. (June 7~11) Kite Museums
Shirone,
Niigata – Information on kite battles and examples of every kite style
in Japan. Yokaichi,
Shiga – dedicated to the world’s largest kites. Tokyo –
JKA museum – (smallish but interesting)
Of
course, as with everything these days, the best place to begin a search
for information on kites is the World Wide Web. Check out the following
for stories and contact information. Japan
Kite Assoc. - http://www.tako.gr.jp/ Dancing Frog Kites - http://www.bhc.com/japan2000/index.html Mikio Toki – the last living Edo-dako master. - http://homepage1.nifty.com/mikiotoki/english.htm Or the traditional paper medium: Paper Wings Over Japan – a book by American kite flyer Scott Skinner. |
|
countries were for mere fun
and pleasure, being flown by children and parents, in some
parts of Japan, the building and flying escalated to something else.
the best of these look like their design came when paint is vomited or
exploded onto the material and mixed wildly by a blind man with CP. 
