Koinobori

Alright kiddo, have you ever seen big fish-shaped flags flying in the wind during a special holiday in Japan called Children's Day? Those are called koinobori!

Koinobori are special decorations that people put up to celebrate Children's Day, which is a day when families celebrate and wish happiness for their kids. The reason why they use fish-shaped flags is because in Japanese culture, fish are seen as strong and courageous creatures that swim upstream, just like how parents want their children to grow up strong and brave.

The koinobori comes in different sizes and colors that represent different family members. The biggest and highest koinobori usually represents the dad, the second-biggest one represents the mom, and the smaller ones represent the kids. The smallest koinobori usually have blue color for boys and pink color for girls.

These special decorations are decorated around the houses, near rivers or on the streets where everybody can see it. They are made of fabric material, with different colorful patterns like scales, fins, and eyes hand-painted by the people or artists to make them look like real fish.

Isn't that so cool, kiddo? Koinobori is a fun and colorful way to celebrate Children's Day in Japan and it brings happiness and joy to everyone who sees them!