Japan's Fish Flags
Discover how carp-shaped flags use the wind to carry a wish for children on Children's Day in Japan.
Play the quiz as a gameIn Japan, Children's Day is on May 5. It is a time to wish for children to grow healthy and strong. Some families put up koinobori. These are cloth flags shaped like carp, a kind of fish.
A heading on this page says, “Fish in the Sky.” The first picture shows a family beside a pole. Three fish flags hang from it. This is one way families decorate for the day.
A cloth fish hangs flat without wind. To help it fill up, makers leave its mouth open. Wind blows into the mouth and fills the cloth body. The flags seem to swim in the sky!
The next picture shows a flag on a windy day and the same flag on a calm day. Its caption says, “Wind fills the fish.” With little wind, the cloth hangs down.
Carp can swim against flowing water. They are a sign of strength. The fish flags share a wish: may children grow strong, too.