The first book ever to present a clear guide to making 15 traditional Japanese kites unique in color and shape. Also introduces the history and the artistry of Japanses kites.

Color woodblock prints vibrantly convey the popular urban culture of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Edo, now called Tokyo. In a book that brings together two of Edo's most colorful traditions, prints and kites, John Stevenson celebrates the charm and significance of the mass-produced but often elegant broadsheets known as ukiyo-e. The term means "pictures of the floating world," a pun on a Buddhist concept of the fleeting world of desires that is, coincidentally but poetically, appropriate for a study of kites borne on the wind. Edo artists experimented with woodblock-printing techniques during the eighteenth century as kite-flying became increasingly popular. Each influenced the other: kite-makers copied woodblock-print designs to decorate their creations of bamboo, cloth, and paper, and printers used images of kites in their designs. The prints from the Skinner Collection illustrated in this book are products of Tokugawa Edo (1603-1867) and Meiji Tokyo (1868-1912). They record highlights of the Kabuki theater, brothels, and Sumo wrestling, enthusiastically presenting star actors and celebrity courtesans and vignettes of everyday life. These images capture for us the character of life as it was lived and imagined by the printmakers and kite-fliers of Old Japan. It seems that everyone thrills to the sight of a kite straining upward into the sky, and woodblock prints are perhaps the most accessible form of traditional Japanese visual culture; kite aficionados and lovers of Japanese art alike will be delighted by this study.

Provides step-by-step instruction for designing a variety of kites, and offers tips on material selection and flying techniques.

An interdisciplinary exploration into the history of kite making and flying.

Kids will learn how to make colorful kites while exploring Asian culture and history with this easy-to-follow craft book for kids. Fun to build and exciting to fly, kites are a universal expression of joy and wonder for enthusiasts of all ages. Asian Kites for Kids features kite building projects that are beautiful and functional--ideal for teachers, camp counselors, parents, and budding young kite makers themselves. Kite making is a traditional Asian craft and an essential aspect of folklore that uses everyday materials to create beautiful works of art. In fact, kites are just as much fun to build as they are to fly! The colorful, easy-to-follow instructions will have readers building and flying fifteen different models from across Asia, including China, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, and Korea. With Asian Kites for Kids readers will learn to build: A Butterfly kite from China A Cobra kite from Thailand A Mini kite from Malaysia A Shield kite from Korea An Octopus kite from Japan and much more! This book includes sections on safety, the anatomy of kites, troubleshooting tips, as well as an index of online retailers and resources. Spend hours of fun with your kids and friends crafting handmade Asian kites, and then watching your original creations soar.

First published in 2006. For over fifty years, the Japanese-born Western-trained author of this remarkable volume devoted himself to explaining Japanese traditions and customs to foreigners through his newspaper columns, talks and four short books. The comprehensive work presented here, drawn from all these sources deals with all aspects of Japanese life and material culture - apparel and utensils; cures and medicines; houses and buildings; fetes and festivals; fish, birds and animals; folk tales; food, sake and tobacco; living habits; marriage, funerals and memorials; natural phenomena; plants and flowers; popular beliefs and traditions; recreation and entertainment; religious rites and social customs. With over seven hundred and thirty separate entries, this unique volume is the definitive work on all Japanese things.

To the Japanese, paper is far more than the material medium used by Westerners. For them, its purity symbolises the religious offering, and respect for gods and men. Cut out or folded, it extends the code of speech and gesture. Paper also plays a purely utilitarian role, in the form of lanterns, parasols, fans, wrapping paper, or playthings such kites, dolls and origami.

A CARP FOR KIMIKO is the story of a young girl's struggle against the strong current of tradition. Every year on Children's Day in Japan a kite in the shape of a carp is flown for each boy in the family. Kimiko is a little girl who desperately wants an orange, black, and white calico carp kite of her own to fly on this holiday. Kimiko's parents remind her that there is a holiday just for girls?Doll's Festival Day, but this does not stop Kimiko from dreaming about and wishing for her very own carp. The magical ending achieves the impossible?Kimiko gets what she longs for without breaking tradition. Katherine Roundtree's beautiful illustrations evoke the wonder and excitement of childhood, which will charm readers of all cultures.

Reproduction of the original: Child-life in Japan and Japanese Child Stories by M. Chaplin Ayrton

Over the past generation, kiteflying has evolved beyond a childhood rite of passage into a mainstream adult activity. The kite's popularity skyrocketed at a time when kite makers adopted modern synthetic materials developed for other industries. A new breed of sport kites appeared and kite artists emerged, dazzling onlookers with three-dimensional aerial sculptures. Inventors perfected new designs and accessories while entrepreneurs created a multimillion-dollar kiting industry. Yet, the kitefliers themselves have remained largely anonymous. Drawing on the World Kite Museum's audio archives, this book brings together firsthand stories from the community of devoted enthusiasts who pull the strings.