Japan

It is believed that kites were brought to Japan by Buddhist priests who traveled from Korea and China during the historical Nara period. Mostly used in religious ceremonies. This happened between the sixth and eighth centuries. The name first appeared in a Japanese dictionary compiled in 989, where they were referred to as "paper hawks", indicating that the first kites in Japan were bird-shaped. The Japanese absorbed most of the Chinese culture, but they also managed to develop their own distinctive designs. The basic rectangular shape, traditional for China, has been transformed and acquired many variants. Among the first products, innovative cranes, dragons, fish and turtles can be noted. These new representations symbolized prosperity, good luck and abundance. Some of the designs were meant to attract good luck, while others were meant to ward off evil spirits. In Japan, as in China, there are many stories of kites being used to transport or lift people, for military purposes, or for personal gain.

One of Japan's favorite kite legends tells of a 12th-century samurai warrior, Minamoto no Tametom, who broke the emperor's law. Many legends were composed about him, but one, connected with the serpent, is more curious than the others. He was punished by an angry ruler and exiled with his son to a small island. Not wanting such a fate for the child, the samurai built a large kite, tied his son and delivered his child to the mainland by air. This legend, in a sense, preceded the advent of kiting. Minamoto-no himself, remaining on the island, committed seppuku. A later story, dating back to the beginning of the sixteenth century, tells of the famous thief and robber Kakinoki Kinsuke, who, being raised on a kite, tried to steal the scales from the statues of golden shachihoho, mythical creatures with the head of a tiger and the body of a dolphin, designed to protect buildings from fire, from the roof of the castle towers. He managed to steal some gold and landed safely, but was arrested and boiled alive in oil along with his family for stealing. Much of the information about the existence of early Japanese kites is conjecture at best. Descendants can only connect together stories and legends, for lack of written confirmation of the truth. Edo-era snakes During the Edo period, Japan was a closed country, and it was then that the most beautiful Japanese snakes were developed, which can be seen in museums around the world today. There were about 130 different styles and types of kites. Each province was proud of its uniform. They were usually decorated with symbols of Japanese folklore, mythical creatures, and had a religious or symbolic meaning. All snakes were painted with bright natural dyes, sumi - with black ink and made from handmade paper - washi. The frame was bamboo or cypress twigs, in regions where bamboo does not grow. The bamboo frame is called the bones, and the canvas is called the skin. The current popular name for the Japanese kite is "Tako". It is believed to be related to Tokyo, a place where kites were very popular. The Japanese have in the dictionary the word "Tako-Kichi", which means "crazy kite".