Pop Japan

Held over the Nakatajima Dunes at the Pacific coast of the Shizuoka Prefecture, the Hamamatsu Matsuri is a festival for everyone who loves kites.

The festival is not only a kite-flying festival but more of a kite-fighting festival, wherein participants try to cut the opponent's 5 millimeter thick hemp strings. But here's the twist, they cannot use scissors, knives or any kind of tool. All they can trust is the friction created when two strings meet in mid-air. The friction burns the strings, but it sure will take some time, which makes the festival exciting than one expected it to be.

Photo by Shizuoka Prefecture Tourism Association. Licensed under Creative Commons. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.1/jp/deed.en)

Tags: nakatajima dunes, pacific coast, shizuoka prefecture, hamamatsu matsuri, kite flying, kite fighting, friction