Posts Tagged With: koinobori

Resuming celebratory events: Koinobori will fly April 24 to May 6

Posted on April 16, 2021 by usjapanesegardens

Koinobori — those colorful fish windsocks flown for Children’s Day to emphasize strength and good health — will fly again on the Waiakea Peninsula from Saturday, April 24 to Thursday morning, May 6.

tall, thin poles are cut by Hirano Store
sorting by size (photo by Angelica Covington
Craig Shimoda was among the assembly crew, attaching koinobori to bamboo poles (photo by Angelica Covington)
completed poles are attached to the bridge with zip ties (photo by Yoshihisa Matsushita)
Hawaiian fish were added in 2019. They were created by students at three charter schools, This year, mano kites or Na Wela Lau Lama, the `aumakua of the Keliipio family and guardians of Kuhio Bay, will join the display
Shark kite — Na Wela Lau Lama — from the Keliipio family
The bridge to Mokuola (photo by Jay Takaaze)

Businesses and restaurants all along Banyan Drive and Lihiwai Street also fly koinobori, continuing an ancient tradition. Locally, it used to be the grandparents who put up the annual display.

In 2020, when the parks closed and we all were in “stay home” mode, Friends of Lili`uokalani Gardens loaned the collection of koinobori to the County Building.

2020 display; a smaller display will be put up in the County Building this year
(Sudo Bridge: from 100 Famous Views of Edo by Hiroshige 1857; Boston Museum of Fine Arts)

The koinobori symbolize courage and strength, qualities desired in everyone and especially in children at this festival time of year. Come see the display on your own time between April 24 and May 5. The display will be packed away for another year the morning of May 6.

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Help assemble koi nobori for Waiakea peninsula

Posted on April 19, 2019 by usjapanesegardens

These happy helpers found the koi nobori assembly event through Facebook last year

Many helping hands are needed Tuesday, April 30, to assemble koi nobori and bamboo poles.

This indicates the quantity of bamboo poles used in the annual koi nobori project

Please meet in the parking lot of Mokuola at 9 a.m. 4/30 if you are able to help.

Meet at the parking lot for Mokuola

Koi is an ornamental variety of carp introduced to the rest of the world from Niigata at a World’s Fair in Tokyo in 1914. The fish is a symbol of strength and overcoming adversity. It expresses a wish for health and success.

Koi nobori (colorful koi windsocks) are flown in Japan from April through early May in honor of Childern’s Day (May 5) known as Kodomo No Hi, which formerly was known as Boys’ Festival (Tango No Sekku). Children’s Day has been a national holiday in Japan since 1948. It is the last day of Golden Week.

The tradition of flying koi nobori came to Hawaii with Japanese immigrants. The first group (Gannen Mono) arrived in 1868. The biggest waves of immigration from Japan started at the behest of King David Kalakaua.

King David Kalakaua in Japan, 1881

The first ship of Kanyaku Imin arrived in Honolulu on 8 February 1885. By the U.S. Federal Census of 1910, Japanese immigrants and their families accounted for 43% of the population of Hawaii.

2017 – the first of a three-year centennial celebration of Lili`uokalani Gardens – marked a return to flying koi in the Waiakea area. Friends of Lili`uokalani Gardens wishes to honor the tradition and bring attention to community events happening this week.

Held annually in Kalakaua Park on May 1

Hilo Lei Day Festival will be held in Kalakaua Park on Wednesday, May 1, starting at 10 a.m.

Held annually, the AIDS Walk raises funds that stay on this island to help build a healthier community

The 8th annual AIDS Walk fund raising for the Hawaii Island HIV/AIDS Foundation will be held in Lili`uokalani Gardens on Saturday, May 4, starting with registration at 8:00 a.m.

Held the first Sunday in May, this year’s Hilo Huli falls on Sunday, May 5

The Rotary Club of South Hilo annual fundraiser “Hilo Huli” will be held on Mokuola Sunday, May 5, starting at 11 a.m. Koi will fly until Hilo Huli is over.

Koi nobori may be seen at Suisan Fish Market, Pandamonia’s Paleta Palace at Ali`i Ice, Lili`uokalani Gardens, Hilo Bay Cafe, Shoroan (the Urasenke tea house), Banyan Gallery, Castle Hilo Hawaiian Hotel, and the Grand Naniloa Resort among other Banyan Drive locations. The most colorful and abundant display will be on the bridge to Mokuola.

For more information on Friends of Lili`uokalani Gardens, please take a look at our monthly electronic newsletter for April.

Newsletter April 2019

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Koi Nobori to fly at Waiakea Peninsula

Posted on April 6, 2019 by usjapanesegardens

This is the dream — some day there will be an abundance of koi nobori

Several years ago, Friends of Lili`uokalani Gardens board member Kenji Kuroshima had this dream of flying koi nobori in the park for Boy’s Day (May 5). We don’t have the abundance of his dream — yet. With your help, Friends hope to increase the number of koi nobori this year.

This was the reality last year — two koi nobori on each pole. More will fly this year from Tuesday, April 30, through Sunday, May 5.

In Japan, koi nobori fly from April through early May to celebrate Children’s Day (Kodomo No Hi), a national holiday changed in 1948 to honor both boys and girls. Koi is a type of carp symbolizing courage and strength.

Bamboo poles are harvested near Hirano Store on the Volcano Highway and each year are donated to local fishermen at the end of the display through the assistance of Suisan Fish Market.

Koi nobori will be attached to freshly cut bamboo poles on Tuesday, April 30. Assembly area is adjacent to the parking lot at Mokuola, just off Lihiwai Street in Hilo.

Many hands are needed for this annual activity. If you have koi nobori to donate or wish to help with assembly and placement of the poles, please meet Friends of Lili`uokalani Gardens at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, April 30.

koi nobori on the Mokuola bridge

Koi nobori may be viewed at Suisan Fish Market, Hilo Bay Cafe, Pandamonia’s Paleta Palace, Shoroan, Lili`uokalani Gardens, Banyan Gallery, Hilo Hawaiian Hotel, Grand Naniloa Resort, and across the bridge to Mokuola.

The bamboo poles remain in place through the annual Rotary Club of South Hilo fundraiser Hilo Huli on Sunday, May 5.

the annual Rotary Club of South Hilo event funds scholarships and grants in our island community

Here is a link to the Rotary Club of South Hilo page on Facebook and the event where you may order tickets.

https://www.facebook.com/events/2032112833571426/

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