Unit 8

Video script

Narrator: Once a year, the people of Shirone, Japan, leave their quiet lives behind them and take part in an activity about which they are absolutely passionate. They become so enthusiastic about a competition, that local residents have given it a name. They call it Tako Kichi: Kite Crazy.

Kazuo Tamura, Kite Enthusiast: “‘Kite Crazy’ refers to people who really love kites. People who think more about kites than getting their three meals a day. Even when they go to bed, they can’t fall asleep because they see kites flying over their beds.”

Narrator: Normally Shirone is a quiet and peaceful place, like many other towns that are found in northern Japan. Farmers work hard through the spring to plant their rice, but when the work is done, they’re ready to have some fun at a five-day festival that celebrates the open sky—the Great Shirone Kite Fight.

The Great Kite Fight began 250 years ago. According to legend, a giant kite was given to a village leader by the local lord. The kite was so huge that it damaged houses and crops when it came crashing down. Soon after, villagers who were angry or upset started using kites to fight one another. Eventually, these battles evolved into a festival where people rid themselves of some stress every spring.

Kite madness comes to Shirone every June, and affects people of all ages. Residents both old and young join the fun and just about anybody who can cling to a piece of kite rope gets involved. The town is transformed into a giant kite factory as rival teams prepare for battle. Playgrounds, parking lots, driveways, and even schools become work areas.

Kazuo Tamura is an internationally known kite-flying team leader.

Tamura: “This event is very important to me. It’s not just a question of having a good time. Somehow, underneath a sky that’s full of kites, everyone seems equal. And no one flies a kite in times of war. So the festival is like a sign that we’re at peace.”

Narrator: Shirone festival kites are made by hand and put together carefully and precisely. Teams spend hours designing, constructing, and painting their creations. Each kite has a distinct colorful design to capture the special look that symbolizes a particular team.

Finally, opening day arrives. Fifteen hundred kites are designed, decorated, and ready to be flown. The biggest kites are called odako. They’re difficult to get into the air, but 13 different teams have come to try their best. Other teams prefer the smaller kites called rokako, which are much easier to fly—more like fighter jets while the odako are like heavy bombers.

For centuries, the battle of the kites has taken place along Shirone’s central river, the Nakanokuchi. The competing teams stand on opposite sides of the river. The goal is for one team to capture another team’s kite and pull it from the sky.

Once one team has captured another team’s kite, it’s time for the real competition to begin. Team members desperately cling to their kite ropes, doing everything they can to keep their grip.

Unfortunately, in the tug of war, both of the kites are twisted, pulled, and basically destroyed. Finally, when one team’s rope breaks, a winner is declared. Extra points are given to the winning side for every inch of rope it captures from the losing team.

All along the river, teams get involved in clashes that quickly lead to open war. The battles often spread to the town, and almost everyone gets involved.

Narrator: By the end of day one, thousands of the smaller kites have been destroyed, but not everyone has been able to enjoy the competition. The large odako kites are still not flying. The teams can’t even get the huge odakos into the air. Without a stable northern wind, the larger kites are helpless. The odako teams must wait for a change in the weather, and hope that they’re ready when the north wind finally arrives.

While they wait, the teams step back from the excitement of the riverside to ensure that their ropes are strung correctly. These ropes are made by hand, which makes them extremely strong so they can serve two purposes: controlling the kite, and standing up to the tugs of war. Teamwork constitutes another important part of the kite competition.

Tamura: “The most important thing is teamwork. Everyone runs around clinging to the same rope, so they have to work together. This is very important. Without teamwork, these kites won’t fly; they’ll fall right to the ground.”

Narrator: On the third day of this five-day festival, there’s still no northern wind, and everyone’s very disappointed. But when evening falls the kite fighters still manage to have a good time. Everyone welcomes the chance to relax, have some fun, and go a little crazy.

On the fifth and final day of the competition, the wind continues to deliver disappointment, but at the last minute something wonderful happens. With just one hour remaining, a northern wind comes down along the river. At last, the oversized kites are released from their earthly imprisonment.

Now, finally, Tamura’s team will have its only chance to compete before the festival ends. The young men on Tamura’s team have managed to capture the competing team’s kite. Now the tug of war begins. It’s a situation that requires both skill and passion; luckily Tamura’s team has plenty of both.

Tamura: “People call me a kite maniac. I am a kite enthusiast. That’s just me. They call me a kite maniac, but I don’t think I’m all that crazy.”

Narrator: The two teams are nearly exhausted, but the battle continues. Neither will stop until the war is won, but the ropes remain firmly tied together across the river. One set of kite ropes finally breaks and it belongs to the rival team. It looks like Tamura’s team is the winner!

Narrator: So are the people of Shirone really Kite Crazy Most of the residents become very excited at this time of year. But if it’s some type of craziness, it’s not a dangerous one.

In a good year every kite is destroyed, but the people of Shirone never seem to feel sorry. They know that next spring, the kites will live again. For now, there are no signs that the “Kite Craziness” will disappear any time soon. In fact, among everyone who appears affected by it, no one seems to want to take the cure.

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Audio script

Competing with Kites Around the World

Kite Fights

Historians believe that people first started to fly kites thousands of years ago either in India, Afghanistan, or any other Asian country, depending upon the source. Somewhere in the early history of kite flying, the idea of having battles in the sky was born. One area well known for its fighter kites is India. There, kites called “patang” or “guda” are flown, and the rope used to fly them is coated with broken bits of glass. The winner is the one who is able to cut the ropes of all of the other competitors. Afghan fighter kites are much larger than their Indian cousins with some being up to five feet wide. They are usually constructed of different materials, and competitors use very lightweight paper for their creations.

The sport of kite fighting is also popular in such places as Japan, Korea, Thailand, parts of Europe, Cuba, and Brazil. Brazilian kites are often smaller constructions, but the competition between rivals is still just as enthusiastic. Part of the fun of kite fighting in Brazil involves cutting away someone else’s kite and then stealing it. Trees and power lines in Brazilian cities are often full of lost or abandoned kites.

Kite-Building Competitions

Kite-building competitions offer a totally different approach to the sport of kite flying. Each year, hundreds of festivals are held around the world in which people build their own kites and bring them to be judged by experts in the field. The American Kitefliers Association was formed over 40 years ago and today it is the largest such organization in the world with over 4,000 members in 35 countries. During the annual competitions, kites are judged on four characteristics: appearance, flight capability, construction technique, and design.

The kite’s “appearance” is simply a measure of how good the kite looks on the ground. The “flight capability” category measures how well the flier is able to handle it. “Construction technique” refers to how neatly and carefully the kite was made, and the “design” category is a measure of how strong the structure of the kite is. Judges carefully assess all attributes when making their decisions. Although it’s a fun sport, competitors take it very seriously and work extremely hard on their entries. You can research possible kite-building competitions in your area by going to the American Kitefliers Association website.

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