Press Release on May 14, 2006


The Embassy displays traditional games in "Kites and Tops"

The Embassy of Japan will inaugurate an exhibition of “Japanese Kites and Tops" on 15 May 2006, at the City Hall of the Greater Amman Municipality in Ras El Ein at 6:00pm. The event will run through 24 May from 10am -1pm and from 5- 8 pm daily except on Fridays. It is organized in cooperation with the Japan Foundation, a semi-governmental organization of Japan for promoting cultural exchange.

The exhibition features 95 colorful, highly decorated Japanese kites and 78 various kinds of tops, originating from different prefectures and cities in Japan and reflecting traditional Japanese culture dating back to hundreds of years.

Japanese kites, usually made of rice paper and bamboo, have many varieties in shapes such as bird, butterfly and horse-fly, human face body and so on. They are always illustrated in ways of matching itself with its shape.

These kites were first invented about 2000 years ago in China. They appeared in Japan during the Heian period, and they were called 'paper hawks' at that time as were known in China. They have been popular in Japan since then and are flown on festive occasions, mainly on New Year’s days and other festivals such as Boys Festival since it is said that the higher a kid can fly a kite, the more luck will prevail on him. Today there are probably more types of kites in Japan than in any other country in the world.

A collection of tops in Japan is large, and designs and shapes of this sort of toy depict some aspects of Japanese people’s lives too. Some are carved in the shape of human beings, some resemble practical tools, while others describe daily activities and events. Tops also have a popularity, with around 1,000 different kinds being made in Japan. They range in form from simple tops to elaborate performing ones and in size vary from a tiny 0.5 mm to a huge 90 cm top. Some of the cylindrical tops have a slit in the center, producing a humming sound when in motion.


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