Japan

Mikio Toki with Edo Kite Ben Ruhe

Paper Wings Over Japan The Drachen Foundation

Kite by N. Yoshizumi The Drachen Foundation

Japanese Kites workshop Kiyomi Okawa

For more than a thousand years, the Japanese have built and flown a surprising variety of kites, from the miniature to the mammoth. Traditional kites are made of bamboo and washi (Japanese handmade paper); many are vividly painted with cultural motifs, such as images of kabuki actors. Each region or locale has its own type, influenced by prevailing winds and available materials.

Flown first for religious and seasonal observances, kites became an increasingly popular pastime in Japan in the 1700s, during the peaceful Tokugawa era. Indeed, a genuine kite frenzy ensued in Edo (now Tokyo). Shopkeepers ignored customers, property was damaged, and people were injured by bigger and bigger kites—all of which led to government limits on size and extravagant decoration. Indicative of the continuing Japanese zest for kites (tako kichi is Japanese for "kite crazy") are exhilarating kite festivals and enthusiastic participation in kite clubs and associations.

Articles

• Japanese Kites
• Symbolism in Japanese Kites
• Japanese Kite Prints
• Collecting kite prints
• Mikio Toki, master of the Edo kite
• A Culture Obsessed with Kites
• Teizo Hashimoto by Masaaki Modegi
• Kite paintings by Tatsusaburo Kato

Books

• Asian Kites: Asian Arts & Crafts for Creative Kids
  by Wayne Hosking (2005) is a well designed introduction to the topic, with instructions for making fifteen Asian kites. Seven traditional kites from Japan are featured.
• Japanese Kite Prints
  by John Stevenson (2004) showcases 96 prints from the Scott Skinner collection of ukiyo-e, broadsheets from Tokugawa and Meiji Japan, each of which includes a kite.
• Kites: Paper Wings Over Japan
  by Scott Skinner et.al. (1997) is a colorful and comprehensive introduction to traditional and contemporary kiting in Japan, with many illustrations in color. Very useful for K-12 teachers.
• Origami: Tako & Kites
  by master kite builder Mikio Toki contains more than twenty paper-folding designs using origami paper and double-stick tape. Step-by-step illustrations are easy to follow, even though the book is written in Japanese.
• The Kite
  by Maasaki Modegi introduces kites not only from Japan but from all over the world. Make simple kites following the drawings. Published by the Japan Kite Association and written in Japanese.

Exhibits

• Kochi Nine: Paper in Flight
• Japanese Kites: A Tradition for All Ages
• Japanese Kite Prints
• Kites of Kyushu
• Kites Over the Floating World
• Theater of the Sky

Events

• Parent-Grandparent/Child Workshop with Mikio Toki (2005)
• The Artistry of Japanese Kites: Traditional & Contemporary—Workshop (2005)
• Flying Art: The Creative Art Kites of Gregory Kono (2005)
• Tako: Japanese Kites Inspire Western Kite Makers (2004)
• Hiromi International Paper Kite Workshop (2003)
• Washi/Japanese Friendship Garden (2003)
• Kapa, Washi, Paper Conference (2003)
• Thirteenth International Uchinada Kite Festival/Fourth Great Miniature Kite Contest (2001)
• Washington State International Kite Festival, Shirone Kite Workshop (2001)

K-12 Resources & Teaching Materials

• Learning About Japan Through Its Kites-Intermediate

Kite Kits

• Fish Kite Kit: created by master kite-maker of Japan, Nobuhiko Yoshizumi, this 9" diamond-shaped paper kite is made of washi, Japanese paper, with bamboo spars from Japan. A favorite among art and social studies/history teachers, this kite can be used to teach lessons in Japanese culture and visual arts. Appropriate for age seven and older; decorate with collage, watercolor, and ink or markers.
• Kaku Dako Kite Kit: created by master kite-maker of Japan, Mikio Toki, this 9" x 12" rectangle-shaped paper kite is made of washi, Japanese paper, with bamboo spars from Japan. A favorite among art and social studies/history teachers, this kite can be used to teach lessons in Japanese culture and visual arts. Appropriate for age seven and older; decorate with collage, watercolor, and ink or markers.
• Koma Dako Kite Kit: another kite, larger and slightly more complex, created by master kite-maker of Japan, Mikio Toki, this 23" x 23" paper kite is made of washi, Japanese paper, with bamboo spars from Japan. This kite can be used to teach lessons in Japanese culture and visual arts. Appropriate for age seven and older; decorate with collage, watercolor, and ink or markers.
• Rokkaku Kite Kit: a classic fighter kite of Japan, this traditional Rokkaku-shaped kite is made of Tyvek®. The kit includes all materials except flying line. Assembly requires no cutting or sewing. Instructions included on mini-CD in PDF format along with some useful knots and painting tips.

Workshops

• Japanese Kites
• Japanese Kite Prints
• Greg Kono
• Mikio Toki
• Nobuhiko Yoshizumi