In three cramped rooms filled with the aroma of bamboo, travelers to Tokyo
can discover an art form that has flourished in Japan
for centuries.
With exhibits representing the unique kite designs of almost every region of
Japan, the Kite
Museum is the place travelers
should visit to experience one of Japan’s
most enduring crafts.
A Colorful Collection of Kites
The first sight to hit travelers entering the museum is a distant
rectangular kite saturated by aged reds, oranges and blues used to depict what
appear to be two samurai on a raft sinking beneath swelling waves as a figure
dressed in gold hovers menacingly above them.
This is a classic example of the highly decorative Edo Kaku kite, kites
about 1m by 2m typical of Tokyo from when Japan’s current capital was known as
Edo.
Like most Edo Kaku kites, those in the museum look like folkloric paintings
telling tales of past heroes and myth, rather than simple flying devices.
It is not until travelers move closer to the display case housing the Edo
Kaku, passing under bird like kites hanging from the ceiling occasionally
swooping to brush a head, that their true identity is revealed by the multiple
strings used to guide them in the air.
With approximately 3000 kites on display, the Kite
Museum has more to see than just
Edo Kaku. In
one aisle a disheveled stuffed bird with paper wings adds a touch of the
macabre while not far away a collection of 12 smaller Eto Dako, each painted
with a different animal, celebrate the oriental zodiac.
Buying Kites
For travelers looking to buy kites, the Kite
Museum sells small souvenir kites
($20 upwards) made from bamboo and washi, a Japanese paper made from a variety
of mulberry tree and traditionally used along with bamboo to make kites. They
also sell more expensive kites made by master craftsmen that retail at $70 -
$300.