January 02, 2007

Giant Kites of Japan. A visit to the Yokaichi giant kite festival. One of a number of such festivals. Or visit a Giant Kite Museum. They are called odako (大凧, sometimes romanized as ohdako or oodako), literally: "big kite".

Nice pictures of working on a giant kite that give a good sense of scale. More pics from a festival (click on pics for larger size). Odako are often rectangular, but here's an unusual 25 meter octopus (a tako odako?). Some short odako movies from Youtube: Carrying an odako at Hakune giant kite competition (13 sec) Launching and crashing an odako at Yokaichi giant kite festival, Shiga, Japan (46 sec) See how many people it takes to fly an odako at Sagamihara giant kite festival, Japan (64 sec) Flying an odako at Showamachi giant kite festival, Saitama, Japan (70 sec)

posted by he 17 years ago
  • Amazing. One wonders how many people have been killed over the years when these monsters unexpectedly crash.
  • I read a book called The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks in which one character is killed by a giant kite that sweeps her out to see and presumably a death by either drowning or thirst, if the wind currents hold. I don't think it was shaped like an octopus, though. Oh, and ^^^spoilers! :)
  • I love when wacky stuff that people do is not enough, so they have a festival or a convention rallying probably ninety percent of the people who are involved with the activity worldwide to attend. If this thread were to evolve into a listing of wacky conventions or festivals, I think that we would all be better people for it.
  • Very awesome post. The only way this would catch on here would be if the kites were giant ads for Hummer and Pepsi.
  • bernockle: you mean like the annual Punkin Chunkin' Festival? Okay, I did my bit.