Small Koinobori Streamers Grow in Popularity as Big Ones Less Seen; Redesigning Traditional Decorations for Modern Life

By Kotaro Yaginuma and Kirika Nakamura / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writers

1:00 JST, April 27, 2025

Koinobori carp streamers are a symbol of early summer in Japan, but this traditional decoration is becoming increasingly scarce in cities across the nation.

The streamers are displayed for Children’s Day, celebrated on May 5, and represent hopes for a healthy and prosperous future for children. However, sales have dropped as the nation grapples with a chronically low birthrate and a growing number of homes lack outdoor space to display the streamers. Consequently, large koinobori are becoming an endangered species, especially in major urban areas.

By contrast, small koinobori that can be displayed indoors for families to enjoy have quickly grown in popularity. Some craftspeople, feeling the pinch due to the decline of this tradition, are also attracting attention with their attempts to breathe new life into koinobori.

Tourists and families who recently visited Tokyo Tower in the capital’s Minato Ward beamed with delight as they looked upward. In front of the entrance, 333 colorful koinobori — signifying the tower’s 333-meter height — displayed to celebrate Children’s Day were gently fluttering in the breeze.

“Wow, they’re beautiful,” one visitor said.

Many people stared at the streamers with curiosity. “Not a single house near my home displays koinobori these days,” said a 30-year-old woman from Chiba Prefecture, who was with her two sons. “My children also looked happy to see the streamers swimming so energetically in the sky today.”

According to Nippon Koinobori Kyokai, a Tokyo-based association of 11 koinobori manufacturers across Japan, some businesses have reported sales drops of more than 30% from their peak several decades ago. “During the days of the bubble economy, huge koinobori up to seven or eight meters long were popular,” an association official told The Yomiuri Shimbun. “Even expensive products such as gold-colored streamers priced at about ¥1 million sold well.”

Getting smaller and smaller

People have typically displayed multiple koinobori outside their home. However, the number of children has been declining in recent years, a growing number of detached houses do not have large yards, and some condominium complexes even have rules that prohibit hanging koinobori on balconies. Some people reportedly avoid displaying carp streamers outside their home to protect their personal information and as a security precaution. Flying koinobori “would reveal my family structure,” one person said, while another added, “I don’t want people to know children live here.”

Due to these reasons and others, small koinobori with suction cups that that can be attached to a window or displayed on a table are gaining in popularity.

In around 2018, Kyugetsu Co., a Tokyo-headquartered doll manufacturer founded in 1835, began selling koinobori with stuffed streamers that could be displayed indoors. Kyugetsu gradually reduced the size of these products, and now some are only about 40 centimeters long. The company has expanded the range of available colors and now more than 90% of the koinobori sold at its stores in major cities are for indoor display.

“They’re easy to display and cost ¥20,000 to ¥30,000, which is quite affordable. Some of these products even sell out,” said Kyugetsu President Hisatoshi Yokoyama, 42. “I doubt the trend shifting toward products for indoor use will stop.”

Carrying on traditions

In many areas, efforts are being made to find new uses for the koinobori that now seldom appear in residential areas.

In 2020, local businesses in Nagoya banded together to create koinobori from materials dyed through a traditional method used since the Edo period (1603-1867). These streamers have been hung from buildings in the area.

“If these craftspeople no longer have work due to a decline in demand, they’ll be unable to hand on their skills and techniques. I hope this project will convey the culture of this traditional craft and also increase the volume of work for artisans,” the project planner said.

Tokunaga Koinobori Co. is the nation’s largest manufacturer and seller of carp streamers. Since 2016, the Okayama Prefecture-based company has been supporting a “koinobori gallery” event held each spring at Tokyo Midtown, a commercial complex in Minato Ward, Tokyo. Distinctive designs conceived of by eminent creators are transformed into finished products, with about 100 streamers on public display.

“‘Expressing one’s love’ is at the very heart of koinobori culture,” said Tokunaga Koinobori President Yuko Tokunaga, who also chairs Nippon Koinobori Kyokai. “They connect people and are like a bridge for communication. I hope they’ll continue to swim through Japan’s skies.”