May 5th is an official holiday in Japan called Children’s Day or Kodomo No Hi (こどもの日). Often we raise carp-figure flags (こいのぼり – Koi Nobori) on the roof of the house to wish a child (or children)’s health and strength. In a Chinese legend a carp that swam against upstream turned into a dragon, so we wish our children to be as strong as the carp.
