"Koinobori", meaning "Carp Streamer" in Japanese, are carp-shaped windsocks traditionally flown in Japan to celebrate "Tango No Sekku", a traditional calendrical event which is now designated a national holiday; "Children's Day (Kodomo no Hi)." These wind socks are made by drawing carp patterns on paper, cloth or other non woven fabric. They are then allowed to flutter in the wind.
They are also known as "Satsuki Nobori"
Children's Day takes place on May 5th. Landscapes across Japan are decorated with "Koinobori" from the end of April to early May, in honor of children for a good future and in the hope that they will grow up healthy and strong.
A typical "Koinobori-set" consist of, from the top of the pole down, a pair of arrow-spoked wheel(Yaguruma) with a ball-shaped spinning vane, Flying-Dragon-Streamer (Hiryu-Fukinagashi) that looks like a wind sock. Number and meaning of the carp socks or Koinobori that fly beneath the streamer has changed over time.
Traditionally, the set would contain a Black-Koinobori representing the father, followed by a smaller, Red-Koinobori representing the his eldest son. If more boys were in the household, an traditional Blue, Green and then, then depending on the region, either Purple or Orange Koinobori were added.
After the government's decree that converted "Boy's Day(Tango No Sekku)" into the present "Children's Day(Kodomo No Hi)" the holiday came to celebrate the happiness of both boys and girls. As a result, the Red-Koinobori came to represent the mother of the family and it is not uncommon for the color to be varied as Pink. Similarly, the other colors and sizes of carp came to represent all the family's children, both sons and daughters.
At the present, the Koinobori are commonly flown above the roof of hoses with children, with the biggest (black) Koinobori for the father, next biggest (red or pink) for the mother, and an traditional, smaller carp of different color for each child in decreasing order by age.
