Handmade by the last craftsman who still today manufactures the traditional Nagasaki kites, whose first specimens with the typical diamond shape date back to the 17th century, these kites have achieved such popularity over the centuries that they had to be regulated, due to the damages they constantly caused to the roofs of the samurai mansions. Also called "groupers" (hata, ハタ), due to their resemblance to the flags (hata, 旗) that flew on the ships of foreign traders, the so-called Nanban, some of the designs still reproduce flags and insignia of Dutch ships, in a perfect combination between East and West.
The motif of this kite is the combination of the sun (日), symbolized by the red dot typical of the Japanese flag, and the number one (一) and has different meanings: first sun, day one and recalls the birth of the day, which it is closely related to Japan (日本, the country of the sun 日 that 本, rises) and - also in its meaning of number one in Japan - it is considered auspicious and is often seen used in celebrations.
Because it's handmade, each kite is slightly different.
In addition to flying, also in Japan they are often hung on the walls at home, like works of art.
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