On the first Saturday in February of every year, Hidaka City holds its annual Handmade Kite Flying Meet (日高市手作り凧揚げ大会). Kite enthusiasts and spectators from Hidaka and neighboring cities gather to fly their handcrafted kites. The only qualification to join this event is that the kite must be handmade. Already on its 28th year, there were over a hundred individual participant kite flyers ranging from toddlers to seniors. There were kites of all sizes, shapes (yes, even box-shaped ones), and styles--many of which were beautifully hand-painted. While most kites were traditional Japanese themes (samurai, daruma, Japanese countryside), some featured more modern designs like the amiable snowman Olaf from the popular animation Frozen, as well as Spiderman. An eye-catching design may be well and good and may win a prize but judges were also on the lookout for the highest and the longest flying kites.
The individual kite flying event was followed by the oodako or big kites. How big were they? So big they needed to be held up by four people and the kite's "string" (more like the kite's rope) was held by more than twenty people. It was truly thrilling just to see them take off. Although most of the large kites did not fly for long, a few persisted, thanks in part to good winds.
Professional kite flyers were the star of the "Sports Kite Show" that followed. Six kite flyers flew their bat-like kites at the same time and their kites whooshed through the air in synchrony. Sometimes gliding, sometimes slicing, the kites flew through the air to the collective cries of amazement from the crowd. They displayed great control over and coordination with their kites.
The Hidaka Handmade Kite Flying Meet is one of the few kite festivals held during the long dreary winter, despite the temptation to just stay indoors. But the festival provides an excuse to go outside, where one can enjoy the crisp fresh air, clear skies, and watch these colorful wind dancers soar along with our imaginations.
Kinchakuda is about a 15 minute walk from Koma Station on the Seibu Chichibu Line.
