Japanese Kites

I thought the simple pleasure of flying a kite was a product of my childhood (when my frazzled mom suggested that I do just that).

But no, this is an ancient invention dating back 2,000-3,000 years in China, where kites were used for military purposes, signaling, and religious ceremonies.

And then the Japanese — mainly commoners and samurai — took up this pleasurable pastime, during the Edo era, from 1603 to 1868.

So, while I was in Tokyo, I had to find a kite museum. I mean, logically, there are all kinds of museums in Tokyo (see the Beckoning Cat Museum), so why not kites?

And sure enough, I found one: The Museum of Kites, or better known in Japan as Tako no Hakubutsukan.

Warning: this place can be a little hard to find, even though it's sitting on the second floor of a busy thoroughfare in downtown Tokyo.There's a particular pleasure in tracking down a hard-to-find gem.

And the entry fee is a bargain, a little more than US $1. 

It's packed full of kites from the personal collection of one man, Shingo Modegi who founded the Japan Kite Association. You'll find everything from tiny box kites to giant replicas of planes and birds.

The kites themselves come in all shapes, sizes, and materials, from traditional to modern and paper to nylon. Some hang from the ceilings, while others lean against the walls. Some kites even date from the Edo period.

So here's your Tokyo challenge: go find Tako no Hakubutsukan in the Muromachi NS Building, Second Floor, 1-8-3, Nihonbashimuromachi, Chuo-ku.