Photo: Jeff Laitila

Each spring one thousand carp streamers are hung across the Sagami river near Sagamihara city during the annual Tako (giant kite) festival, a traditional event held since the Edo era. The carp streamers are displayed to pray for health and future success of young boys. The giant kites of the festival (some of them weighing nearly a ton) are flown by teams which hand craft each kite out of bamboo, rope, and washi paper.