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On a breezy day in March, hundreds of bright kites swayed gracefully above D.C. against the backdrop of blue skies and the Washington Monument.
The Blossom Kite Festival in D.C. is a signature event that has, for years, been part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which commemorates Tokyo鈥檚 gift of 3,000 cherry trees to D.C. and celebrates the 鈥渆nduring friendship between the people of the United States and Japan,鈥� .
This year鈥檚 kite festival welcomed back Mikio Toki, a native of Japan and a master of traditional Edo-style kites, a distinctive style of kite first developed in Edo, which is present-day Tokyo.
In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, 草莓传媒 is spotlighting the work of the professional kite-maker and the artistry and importance of kite-making and kite-flying in many Asian cultures.
Kites carry prayers, wishes for children
Toki, who was born in Japan鈥檚 capital, said there are many different ways of designing kites.
鈥淛apan is a very small country,鈥� Toki said. 鈥淏ut each place 鈥� has different types of kites.”
Edo kites are rectangular with a hummer that makes a sound when it鈥檚 flying in the sky, and lines some 14 to 17 inches long and no tail.
It took a few tries for Toki鈥檚 kites to catch the wind and take flight, but when they did, they hovered serenely among other kites that were frenetically swaying during a particularly windy D.C. day.
Taking flight is the culmination of a process that combines art, engineering, aviation and flight.
Toki starts with the image of the kite, drawing inspiration from Kabuki or a story. Then, he draws a picture of what he wants the kite to look like before hand painting it on a washi paper, a traditional handmade Japanese paper typically made from the fibers of the paper mulberry plant. It鈥檚 on the .
As for the construction, Toki splits aged bamboo and carves them for the kite鈥檚 assembly, putting between 14 to 17 lines to finish it off.
The lines often get tangled, but since Toki has been making and flying kites for decades, 鈥淚鈥檓 a professional, so I can do it easier,鈥� he said.
Around Tokyo, kites are typically flown during the New Year鈥檚 celebration, but they are also flown on May 5 during what was known as Tango no Sekku or Boys鈥� Day 鈥� renamed Children鈥檚 Day. It鈥檚 a time when families celebrate the health and happiness of children,
Toki said Boys鈥� Day is a time when families pray that boys become good boys and good adults. 鈥淭hey pray. So his name is on the kite and they fly the kite.鈥�
The American Kitefliers Association said that scholars believe that kites were first developed in China around 450 B.C. They spread to Europe by the 13th century and were regarded as 鈥渃uriosities鈥� in European culture.
Kites have a sacred significance in many Asian and Polynesian cultures, . For example, in China and Japan, kites are thought to scare off bad spirits and attract good ones.
Kites also have functional uses and have inspired meteorology, science, the military, sports, aviation and astronomy.
Benjamin Franklin used a kite to demonstrate the . Kites have been used to study the weather and the atmosphere. The American Kitefliers Association even directly to the invention of the airplane. Kites have even been used during war for espionage activities.
But if you just want to experience the simple of joy of making and flying a kite (and not engage in espionage or extreme sports), Toki said start with an easy one, such as a diamond kite, that most children make and find the perfect day to do it.
鈥淕ood kite makes good flying,鈥� Toki said.
