The highlight of the Hamamatsu Festival, May 3rd - 5th, is the kite flying competition. Each town prepares a giant kite. While flying the kites, the competitors intertwine its linen thread with the others to cut by rubbing. The one who cuts the other's thread wins in the competition. The kite flying competition has a long history. According to the Hamamatsu-jo Castle Chronicle written in 1739, when the lord of Hikima-jo (present Hamamatsu-jo) Castle had his first baby boy, the baby's name was written on a giant kite to celebrate his birth. This episode, which happened in the mid 16th century, is said to be the origin of this event. In those days, when the first baby boy was born, a giant kite was given to the family on the first Boy's Festival Day (May 5), and the kite marked with "the First Kite" was flown by the young people in town to celebrate. In the Yedo period ( 1603- 1867), graphic designs such as a floating chrysanthemum crest, clouds, and cranes were mainly drawn on the kites. But as the traditional event grew bigger each year, trends changed, and in the Meiji (1868 - 1912) and Taisho period (1912 - 1926) more pictures and characters representing the town became popular. Stalls carrying kites and tools during the day, are replaced by some beautiful miniature palace-like floats with musical bands at night, and dazzle several hundred thousands of spectators.
