It is a day in early May to respect children’s personalities and to celebrate their happiness.
It is usually celebrated by families with a boy, and the girls’ day is celebrated in March where families fly giant koinobori (carp-shaped windsock) and display kabuto (samurai helmet) and yoroi (samurai armor) in their house.
“Traditionally people eat kashiwamochi (sticky rice cakes with red bean paste filling wrapped in oak leaves) and chimaki (sticky sweet rice wrapped in an iris or bamboo leaf) on this special day,” Languages Teacher Machiko Ohta. said.
“Taking a shobuyu (a bath with Japanese iris leaves) is another traditional custom. Acknowledging this special day, children in Kindy Japanese class have learnt about kodomo no hi, and have sung a song called “koinobori” and made koinobori.
“Children also had a great opportunity to view an actual koinobori. Before viewing it they shared how big they think it actually is. When the koinobori was revealed, they couldn’t hide their excitement and surprise at how big it was.
They kept calling out “ōkī”, (big) and “nagai!” (long) trying to express themselves using the learnt vocabulary.”
