Did you ever fly a kite when you were a kid?
I'll bet you've told someone to "go fly a kite" before, right (or someone told you that)?
Well, how about flying a kite that is nearly 50 feet by 50 feet (14.5m x 14.5m) in size?
These babies weigh in at just over a ton (950 kg) require a rope that is over 650 ft. long and take about 100 people to handle them! That's a lotta kite!
These giant kites are called "Sagami-no-Oodako" and are flown by the Sagami Giant Kite Preservation Association in Sagamihara City, which is located about 35 kilometers to the west of Tokyo in Kanagawa
Prefecture.
This year's festival was held on May 4th and 5th during the Golden Week holidays. It's an annual event and is held at the Sagamigawa
(Sagami River) riverbed.
Sorry - too late to go see it this year - but plenty of time to plan for next year!
If you would like more details about how the craftsmanship involved in making these kites, and some great videos of the kites being flown, have a look at The Giant Kites of Sagami.
Makes you want to jump up an "go fly a kite" - doesn't it?
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