Sagami Giant Kite Festival 相模の大凧まつり
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Held annually on May 4 and 5 along the Sagami River from 10 am to 4 pm. Nearest train station is Sobudaishita Station on the JR Sagami Line (20-min. walk to the festival site). They have shuttle buses from the train station to festival site, but I walked.
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The site is a riverside park. They fly the giant kite a few times each day depending on the wind. Photos were taken on May 5, 2019.
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In May 2019, the giant kite celebrated the new Reiwa Era by having the kanji characters for Reiwa on the giant kite.
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Sagami Giant Kite festival is held annually on May 4 and 5 along the Sagami River bank. The site is near JR Sobudaishita (相武台下) on the JR Sagami Line.
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Lean-to shade.
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Rear view
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Entertainment during Sagami Giant Kite Festival
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Take off of a smaller kite
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Take off of another smaller kite
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Successful flight
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Anchor
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Preparing the big one.
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Bamboo poles used to prop up the giant kite.
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Moving the giant kite to launch site
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Spectators watch along the side and rear.
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Sagamihara city is adjacent to Zama city which also held their own giant kite festival on the same day adjacent to Sagamihara's site. This is a launch of Zama's giant kite which soon went back to the ground due to inadequate winds.
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The site is cleared of people before the launch.
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Inadequate winds. The kite struggles to lift off.
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The kite went back down almost immediately after hovering a few feet above ground.
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Panorama of festival site.
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Preparing the giant kite
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Moving the kite to launch point
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Kite pullers
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And we have lift off!
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TakoKites in the shape of an octopus is common because the Japanese word for kite is "tako" which is the same pronunciation for the word octopus in Japanese.
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Guest kite from Yokaichi, Shiga PrefectureThis is a smaller version of their giant kite. Yokaichi (Higashi Omi) also holds a giant kite festival in May.
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Yokaichi's anchor truck
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Beautiful lavendar
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Another launchThey fly the kite a few times during the festival days.
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Rope anchor
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DisassemblyThe paper is actually large strips that can be removed and rolled up.
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