 Image search results - "八日市" |
I saw the Yokaichi Giant Kite Festival (Odako Matsuri) for the first time on May 23, 2004. The site is alongside the Echigawa River near the Yachiyo Bridge. A free shuttle bus from Yokaichi Station is provided, taking about 10 min.
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Crowds
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Mini kite contest. Kite contestants show off their kite designs at their tents.
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The Big One. The size is equivalent to 100 tatami mats or about 12 meters x 13 meters (156 square meters).
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Carved paper
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People's fortune stickers on the kite. 願い札
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Stringing the kite
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Ready for flight
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Kite corner
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Launch pad. The kite is carried to the take off point and pointed toward the wind, which unfortunately very weak this day.
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Raising the kite. Long bamboo poles are used to prop the huge kite upward to meet the wind.
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Take off. On cue, the people pulling the kite start running and the kite starts to lift off. Also see the video at YouTube.
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Snapped part being repaired.
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Yokaichi Giant Kite Preservation Society. This is the group responsible for producing, maintaining, and flying the giant kite. 大凧保存会
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Sagamihara kite team invited. Sagamihara city in Kanagawa Prefecture also has a giant kite festival, and they were invited to fly a smaller version of their kite at Yokaichi. (Yokaichi was also invited to Sagamihara's kite festival in April.)
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Sagamihara kite in flight. Due to a lack of wind, this flight didn't last long.
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Banzai from Sagamihara. After the kite's flight, the Sagamihara team give a few banzais to themselves and to Yokaichi.
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Mini kite flying contest. The flying portion of the kite contest is held.
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Mini kite flying contest
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Kite train or "rendako." These kites are pretty to watch. 連凧
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Giant Kite sake. The food and souvenir booths sold a variety of merchandise including this locally-brewed sake, complete with a label showing this year's kite design.
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Kite pullers wanted. This booth, next to the giant kite, is where you can apply to pull the kite. Anybody can apply to pull the giant kite. I applied and got a little kite pin and a pair of gloves.
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Ready for another flight
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Yokaichi giant kite coming up.
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100 kite pullers
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OK, RUN NOW!! This is the most exciting part when we start running with the rope. It was like a stampede, and I let go after a few seconds to avoid getting runned over by the mob behind me.
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And lift off...
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Yokaichi Odako giant kite Air borne
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Higher and higher...It went up to about ?? meters.
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No wind. This flight lasted only about 30 sec. We ran about 50 meters, then the kite fell back to Earth. Also see the video at YouTube.
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Festival poster
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