Takoage (凧あげ) game

The kite was originally a game used to pray for the baby to grow up and have a happy future, but now it is considered one of the activities of Tet. Tako (kite flying) is a traditional Japanese game. Tako is loved by Japanese boys and girls, it occupies a part of their little hearts. Tako can be seen in the manga or anime series and most prominently the Doraemon series.

Tako originated in China and first appeared in Japan when a Japanese Buddhist monk down there brought it. These early kites are depicted in the form of some birds, with monotonous construction and decoration. Then the Japanese made their own kites with large sizes used for lifting workers to carry tools to decorate the roofs of communal houses - temples of the region. That's why in the ancient woodblock prints, there are still images of people and big kites flying in the sky. Tako flourished especially in the Edo period. They then appeared in many forms, including 4-sided and 6-sided kites, the drawings on the kites are often traditional drawings and patterns.

In the Heian period, kites were mainly used to exchange messages. It is still said that kites were used to exchange information across ramparts and into strongholds. In the 1,000 years of history in Japan, kites have undergone great development, mainly because Japan has high quality materials such as paper, bamboo and string for kite flying. Kite making became popular, throughout Japan people created many different types of kites. But the real heyday of kites was the Edo period (1603-1868).

A type of kite that was very popular among merchant families in the old days was called a yakkodako. These kites are modeled after people, with arms stretched out to the sides, in a very funny pose. The merchants made these kites according to the portraits of their servants. In the past, kite flying was one of the leisure pastimes of the Japanese. Everyone flies a giant kite, sometimes covering an area of more than 100m2. In kite flying competitions, the competitor must try to break the opponent's kite string to win.

Nowadays, Tako has become a major festival in Japan. With more than 130 different designs printed in colorful colors. Every year, in Japan, hundreds of big and small kite competitions take place in cultural festivals in many regions. Attracting more than 3 million visitors and dozens of teams to compete. Tako brings people closer together, bringing joy, excitement, and more to the feeling of teamwork wherever you are. . Due to urbanization, the number of places where you can fly kites is decreasing. Some places allow kitesurfing, such as in large parks or along the banks of major rivers.

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