Round kite (wanwan-dako) flying at Naruto, Shikoku, 1935.



1930sAmusements & Recreations
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Round kite (wanwan-dako) flying at Naruto, Shikoku, 1935. The giant, round wanwan-dako of Shikoku’s Tokushima Prefecture are well-known as some of the largest kites made in the world. These commemorative postcards depicting the flights of these giant kites are dated June 2, 1935 (Showa 9).

See also:
Kite-flying culture, c. 1910-1930.
Japanese Kites (~Dako), c. 1960.
Naruto whirlpools at Setonaikai, Inland Sea, c. 1910.

“Naruto, Tokushima Prefecture: Since the 17th century the local people of Tokushima, one of the four prefectures on the island of Shikoku, have been flying large round kites called wanwan-dako.

“One such flown in 1935 [June 2] with a howling sound caused by the wind is said to have had a diameter of 23 meters. This breathtaking spectacle took place between May and June, when strong southerly winds blew from the Naruto shore. Giant kite meets ceased during World War II and were revived only in 1980.”

The Making of Japanese Kites: Tradition, Beauty and Creation, Masaaki Modegi, 2007

Round kite (wanwan-dako) flying at Naruto, Shikoku, 1935.

Round kite (wanwan-dako) flying at Naruto, Shikoku, 1935.

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