Colorful carp fly high for town in Iwate

May 06, 2020 | News On Japan

May 06, 2020 (NHK) - People in Japan traditionally display colorful carp-shaped streamers for Children's Day on May 5. Yamada Town in the northeast aimed a little higher than usual this year due to the coronavirus, which has kept many kids at home for the country's week-long spring holiday.

On Tuesday, about 130 of the carp streamers were hung at a lofty 25 meters in the parking lot of the local science museum. The display makes use of two mobile cranes.

A youth league of the town's society of commerce and industry came up with the idea. The members say they want the streamers to be seen by people using the local train line, and even by those traveling on a nearby national road.

Yamada is located in Iwate Prefecture, which was hit hard by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. The streamers were sent to the town from across Japan to show support for areas recovering from the disaster.

A 6-year-old boy said staying at home all the time has been boring, but the carp streamers made him happy.

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