Koinobori (Carp streamer) in Kawagoe

Koinobori is hung up in Kawagoe

A lot of Koinobori are hung up at the street called Taisho Roman Yume Dori in Kawagoe city.
I hear that this is an event until mid-May.
Looking at the carp streamer, it feels us May is coming soon.

What is Koinobori?

Koinobori is carp-shaped streamer.
5^th May is “Children’s day” which is one of the national holidays.
It’s another name is “Boy’s day”.
Parents hang up Koinobori, carp-shaped streamer, hoping that their children will grow up healthy and strong.
As Children’s Day approaches, carp streamers are hung up.

In recent years, it has become less common to hang up at home, probably because the house is small and does not have enough space.

Origin of Koinobori

In the Edo era, when a boy was born in a samurai family, a streamer with the family crest of the family was displayed.
On the other hand, when the townspeople gained economic power around the middle of the Edo period, they started to hang up carp streamers.

Originally, carp is a fish with strong vitality that can live not only in clear streams but also in ponds and swamps.
It is said that Koinobori, carp streamers, have come to be displayed in the hope that children will grow up well and succeed in life regardless of the environment.

How to access

Kawagoe is about 30 minutes by Tobu Tojo Line taking Express from Ikebukuro in Tokyo.
To Taisho Roman Yume Dori, the street in Kawagoe, about 20 minutes by walk from Kawagoe Station.