Boys Day, Mt Fuji

I went away on the weekend to play golf near Mt Fuji and just got back. On the way to the golf course I passed a rest area with parks and childrens play area. The other side of the road was a convenience store. From the carpark of the convenience store was a magnificent view of Mt Fuji behind the childrens play area.

The clouds were rolling really fast over the mountain and as I went to get my camera they suddenly blocked most of the great view. Here is what is left of Mt Fuji hiding behind some clouds. The Koinobori (こいのぼり) in the foreground are being flown in celebration of the upcoming Kodomo no Hi (こどもの日) or Boys Day on May 5.

The biggest carp at the top of the koinobori is supposed to represent the father of the family, with the second one representing the eldest son and then other sons below.

A good explanation of this holiday can be found on wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodomo_no_hi

According to wikipedia:

Until recently, Tango no Sekku was known as Boys’ Day (also known as Feast of Banners) while Girls’ Day (Hinamatsuri) was celebrated on March 3. In 1948, the government decreed this day to be a national holiday to celebrate the happiness of all children and to express gratitude toward mothers. It was renamed Kodomo no Hi. There is some concern that, despite its renaming, it is still Boys’ Day and it is inappropriate that Boys’ Day is a national holiday, while Girls’ Day is not.

Looks like whilst they were trying to be politically correct, people still view the two days as one for Boys and one for Girls.

Here is another display from the Cerulean Tower lobby in Shibuya for Boys Day

I might write about the golf later, but for now here is the view on the 3rd hole. Needless to say, the live view was breathtaking!