Another traditional New Year’s event that has almost completely disappeared, flying kites.
This image is part of The New Year in Japan, a book published by Kobe-based photographer Kozaburo Tamamura in 1906. Original text1:
The wind is good, and boys are quick to take advantage of it. They rush away with their kites, with almost naked legs (the Japanese boy is impervious to the effects of heat or cold), and, braving the chilly blast, they scream with joy and pride as they view their kites so high.
Notes
1 Tamamura, Kozaburo (1906). The New Year in Japan. Tamamura Shashinkan.
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Old Photos of Japan aims to be your personal museum for Japan's visual heritage and to bring the experiences of everyday life in old Japan to you.
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Reference for Citations
Duits, Kjeld (). Kobe, 1906: New Year Celebrations 17, OLD PHOTOS of JAPAN. Retrieved on February 14, 2026 (GMT) from https://www.oldphotosjapan.com/photos/666/new-year-celebrations-17
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