The Kites of Kesennuma Tenbata

Kites of all kinds converge at this Kesennuma festival

Justin Velgus Jun 03, 2014 - 1 min read

<p>The wind was not quite strong enough to launch these massive and heavy kites today</p>

<p>The kites of the festival fly freely</p>

<p>This Aomori kite club displays their artistic, hand-painted designs</p>

<p>An almost 30 meter string of kites, with well wishes written on them, soar into the sky</p>

<p>Suzunosuke is a dancing sparrow mascot related to a traditional dance originating in Sendai</p>

<p>The local Kesennuma kite association poses proudly next to their oversized kites</p>

<p>The Aomori kites were very popular</p>

<p>A kite of messages of hope and recovery for the city</p>

<p>A simple kite related to an old Japanese folk tale </p>

<p>Some of the more artistic kites are displayed by this veteran festival participant and kite collector</p>

<p>For a moment, the simple joy of flying a kite makes nothing else matter</p>

May 2014 marked the 26th annual Kesennuma Tenbata Kite Festival. People as far away as Tokyo and Aomori Prefecture came out to fly and show off their kites in the competition at the former Kesennuma Koyo High School. Usually the festival is held in February but, because of several years of unpredictable weather, the time was changed so festival goers enjoyed some warmer than usual weather.

Whether the wind is cooperative or not, everyone can enjoy the hard work and artistic designs of the kites. Take a look at some of the highlights.

Justin Velgus @justin.velgus

Justin Velgus (ジャスティンベルガス) is the Miyagi Prefecture expert for Japan Travel and a long-term contributor since 2012 with a focus on the Tohoku region. Justin has written extensively for JT, and other publications such as VisitMiyagi and Sake Today, amassing over 350 published articles...