Hundreds of Colorful Carp Streamers Soar Over Jozankei Gorge

Held from early April to early May

In Japan, it is customary to hang up koinobori (carp-shaped streamers) on May 5th in celebration of Children’s Day. Koinobori symbolizes the hope that parents have for their children to grow up healthy and strong, similar to carp successfully swimming upstream. The Jozankei Onsen Keiryu Koinobori is held over the course of a month, starting in mid-April. The festival features 400 colorful streamers swaying in the breeze above Jozankei Onsen. The uniquely Japanese sight of cherry blossoms blooming alongside carp banners is something that can only be seen in Hokkaido, thanks to the late cherry blossom season.