At the start of the Hamamatsu Festival, groups of men and women in traditional coats gather as if they are preparing for war. The air is filled with the sounds of people playing trumpetsand banging on drums. After an opening fireworks ceremony, the kites will make their first flight.
Teams run across the field holding the kites’ cords in their hands, using the wind to quickly help their kites sail high into the sky. This represents how children grow from tiny beingsto become big and strong. There’s no fighting on this day, as it’s bad luck to attack kites during their first flight. The battles take place on the morning of the final day, when experts try to skillfully cross lines and knock other kites out of the sky.
