tour 2 of 11
Fish
A colour woodblock print
Hiroshige (1797-1858) was one of the most
successful printmakers of his time in Japan. This print shows paper
carp streamers in the air, flown for the Boys' Festival. In
the background other streamers fly over the city of Edo (modern-day
Tokyo), and Mount Fuji looks tiny in the
distance.
The
Children's Festival on 5th May used to be only for boys,
but is now a special day when the Japanese pray for happiness,
health and success in the lives of all their children. Families fly
carp streamers on tall poles in their gardens (koi-nobori =
carp-streamer) for each member of the family. The oldest son has
the largest streamer.