Little-Known Trivia and Fun Facts About Koinobori (Carp Streamers)

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A person from the melodic hardcore boom generation who loves music, photography, and eating. I’ve been going to live houses for over 20 years. I’m at the age where summer festivals are starting to feel tough physically. I sometimes try shooting live photos and videos for MVs. I’m not great at English, so I often listen to straightforward Japanese rock that hits directly, but if someone recommends something, I’ll listen to anything—Western or Japanese—broadly and casually. I like cooking while listening to music; it’s a nice way to relieve stress.

As Children’s Day on May 5 approaches, we see carp streamers (koinobori) more and more often here and there.

Traditionally, many families have the custom of displaying them when a baby boy is born.

These days, however, due to housing conditions and the like, we don’t see many large ones anymore, but there are more compact versions you can display indoors and designs with a stronger decorative flair.

In this article, we’ll share some trivia and fun facts related to koinobori.

You might find yourself thinking, “Come to think of it, I didn’t know that…”—they’re great conversation starters once you do.

If you have children, try talking together as a family about the roots of koinobori.

[Surprisingly Little-Known] Trivia & Fun Facts About Koinobori (Carp Streamers) (11–20)

Number of carp streamers in the Edo period

Koinobori, the decorations that symbolize Children’s Day, are often imagined as colorful carp swimming across the blue sky.

However, it’s said that in the Edo period they were a different shape from what we see today.

What were they like? Today, koinobori typically feature three to four carp, but in the early Meiji era there were two, and in the Edo period just one—the number is said to have gradually increased over time.

The single koinobori of the Edo period was a style called “one black carp display” (magoi ippiki kazari), and it was said to represent the child themselves.

Although the wishes for children have not changed, the simplicity of the display seems to make those wishes feel all the more powerful.

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In conclusion

We’ve shared some trivia and fun facts about koinobori (carp streamers).

It might have been a surprising revelation that it wasn’t samurai households but ordinary families that began flying carp streamers.

Learning about the roots of koinobori, how they spread in modern times, and how they’ve changed might give you a different impression the next time you see them.