Noshiro Dako Kite

能代凧

Historical Background:

The Berabo Kite was born in Noshiro, Akita Prefecture. The origin of Berabo Kite dates back to the 9th century, when legend has it that the general Sakanoueno Tamuramaro arrived in Noshiro with his army, a kite flying high in the sky as a landmark during their campaign to defeat the Emishi, non-Yamato peoples in northern Japan. In the 17th century, kite flying became very popular, and by the early Meiji period (1868-1912), the prototype for today's Noshiro kites was created. The original drawings of the kites were once destroyed by fire in 1949, but they were faithfully reproduced based on the memories of the craftsmen and the drawings that remained. The original sketches are still being carried on today as a tradition.

Further Background

[Meiji era]

Kitaman was founded. The first generation was Manzaemon Kitamura, and the second generation, Chozaburo, kept the traditional technique alive until his death in November 2008 at the age of 90. Twenty-two of Chozaburo's paintings are in the collection of the Akita Prefectural Museum (Akita City) in recognition of their value.

[Showa Period]

In the early Showa period (1926-1989), there were 5-6 Noshiro kite stores in Noshiro, and a painting by Tsuguharu Fujita in 1937 titled "Gyoji in Akita" depicted Noshiro kites fluttering in the wind, indicating the popularity at that time. However, as time went by, kites became less popular, and the stores that made Noshiro kites closed down one after another. Today, there is only one store making Noshiro kites, Kitaman.

[Now]

Kitaman is now the only shop making Noshiro kites. Kitaman currently has no successor, and the people who make the kites are aging, so they expect the tradition of Noshiro kites to end in their generation. Every year in late April, Noshiro City holds the Noshiro Kite Festival, and some participants use Noshiro kites in the festival. Kitaman, which sells Noshiro kites, mainly sells kites as good luck charms. The Noshiro kite as a good-luck charm has been passed down through several generations. Recently, Kitaman was contacted by an elderly purchaser of Noshiro kites who lived in another prefecture and asked to take back the Noshiro kites he owned because he was going to leave his house. The owner was thrilled that his kites had been carefully passed down for so long.

Characteristics

The entire process of making Noshiro kites is done by hand. At Kitaman, a two-person team handles everything from selecting and adjusting the thickness of the bamboo to painting the kites. The line drawing process begins with the eyes and outline of the kite and continues with the brush strokes. The design of the line drawing has not changed over the years, but the width of the eye makeup is sometimes arranged according to the artist who draws the line drawing. The process of "line drawing," in which the outline of the picture is drawn all at once, is considered particularly difficult, and it takes about 10 years of experience to be able to draw it in public. At Kitaman, about 10 preliminary sketches are usually drawn at once, and this part of the process takes about 3~4 days.

To know more!

能代凧

Noshiro Dako Kite (No subtitles)

第５３回　能代凧揚げ大会

The 53rd Noshiro Kite Festival (Japanese only)

秋田出身モデルがメイクで地元の伝統を表現してみた❣️〜べらぼう凧〜

Akita-born model expresses local traditions through makeup: ❣️ - Bella Kite (Japanese Only)

Where to purchase

Kitaman Kitamura Tako Chōchin-ten

Take Ou line train from Akita Station to Higashi Noshiro Station for 1 h. Take Gono line train from Higashi Noshiro Station to Noshiro Station for 4 min. Walk for 12 min.

Price

Photos by Tohoku Digital Archive

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