Celebrating Japanese Children's Day

Published on 05 May 2020

Hobart's community could still enjoy this year’s Japan's Children's Day despite the event moving online as a result of COVID-19.

Drone footage currently showing on the City of Hobart’s website displays beautiful carp-shaped streamers and windsocks, known as “koinobori”, gifted by Hobart’s Japanese sister-city, Yaizu.

The six-metre-long koinobori, which are traditionally flown in Japan to celebrate Children’s Day, were also flying high at the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens and Government House today.

Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said that while this year’s Japan's Children's Day could not be held in-person, like it was in the Botanical Gardens last year, it was still important to celebrate together as a community.

“We invite the children and communities of Hobart, Yaizu, and around the world to go online this year to enjoy this very special day,” Cr Reynolds said.

“Physical distancing doesn’t prevent us from coming together as a community to celebrate our children’s lives, contributions and wellbeing.”

Japan's Children's Day was marked for the first time in Hobart last year, attracting hundreds of children to a special event at the Botanical Gardens.

“Last year’s event was a great success, with Japanese songs and Taiko drumming and hundreds of colourful decorations made by students,” Cr Reynolds said.

“I said at the time that it would be really good to make it a regular tradition because everyone involved loved it, and we won’t let COVID-19 get in the way of that.”

Japan's Children's Day has been an annual national holiday in Japan since 1948. The event is now celebrated by many countries worldwide, including in Australia.

The City of Hobart has a proud and enduring 43-year friendship with Yaizu and a 30-year Yaizu student exchange program. Government House hosts and provides a tour for our visiting Yaizu exchange students each year.