Dear customers,
Just few weeks ago, it was cold outside, and people in the streets wore long coats and mufflers.
And now it is warm, as in summer. The cherry blossom season is also coming to an end, and people are preparing for the Children's Day.
Starting from late April and until 5th of May, a visitor to Japan can observe a variety of colourful carp streamers, floating in the blue sky.
This is because Japanese people have a tradtion of raising carp streamers, while praying for their children health and strength during this season.
The Children's Day is mostly associated with boys (girls' festival is on 3th of March).
And, preparing for this season, both offline and online stores in Japan start selling colourful carp streamers sets.
How about purchasing one of them?!
Why carp?
The carp is considered as symbol of strength and success in Japan.
The reason of this connected with old Chinese legend which tells a story about a carp.
According to the legend, there was a waterfall, which a lot fish tried to overcome, but the only fish that managed to overcome the waterfall was carp.
And that's why carp has become a dragon.
Tradition of koinobori
The tradition of rasing carp streamers was born in Japan, during Edo period.
At first, this tradition was performed in samurai (warrior) families only, but later spread to all of Japanese people.
At the time, carp streamers were not nearly as colourful as now, because the coloured carp was not as widespread as it is now.
Old gravure, depicting carp streamers in Edo period.
Let's purchase real koinobori carp streamers straight from Japan!
Please, look at these options:
http://item.rakuten.co.jp/auc-aburaya/10000241/ - from Rakuten.
Here you can even input family mark, and name!
And, you can choose a colour.
More affordable price, from Amazon!
There are hundreds of different proposals, so if you interested, please search our website by the keyword "鯉のぼり", or contact our customer support, and they will search it for you!
I have purchased carp streamers set! Is there something else?
Yes! Japanese people often eat special traditional food, named "kashiwa-moti" on this day.
This is traditional Japanese sweet, wrapped in the leaf of Kashiwa tree.
We recommend to try these sweets, too!
You can purchase them here:
http://item.rakuten.co.jp/kashi/kashiwa1/
or here http://item.rakuten.co.jp/dangonoshiki/057/
Please, input link in the search field on our main page, or by clicking button "Add item or auction" in your account!
Alternateively, you can search the item by the keyword "柏餅", or ask our customer support to help you out.
Best wishes for you and your child on the upcoming Children's Day!