Tsuetate-onsen Koinobori festival, Kumamoto, Japan

Children's Day: May 5 is to celebrate the happiness of children with Koinobori.
So Koinobori Festival is held all over Japan in May.

Tsuetate onsen is the origin of Koinobori festival.

Around 3500 carp steamers/carp-shaped wind socks [=Koinobori]

 were flying above the river 

during Tuetate-onsen Koinobori festival.
 

footbath [Japanese: 足湯]

steamed egg [Japanese: Mushi-tamago, 蒸したまご].

Lots of carp-shaped Emas are hanging on Momiji bridge.
※Ema (=small wooden plaques written people's wish)

Episode of Tsuetate-onsen hot spring Koinobori festival

Tomo&Chouchou went to Tsuetate hot spring (=Tsuetate onsen) located in Oguni-machi, Aso-gun, Kumamoto, Japan. We went to Tsuetate-onsen in spring, so we could see lots of Koinobori [=carp steamers/carp-shaped wind socks] were swimming above the Tsuetate river in the sky. Around 3500 carp steamers/carp-shaped wind socks [=Koinobori] were flying above the river during Tuetate-onsen Koinobori festival. It was so beautiful. 

Around Koinobori area, we could have a footbath [Japanese: 足湯] for free. There was also a one day visit spa around. So we quickly enjoyed footbath then we entered visit spa for one hour. It was very refreshing!
We can also buy a steamed egg [Japanese: Mushi-tamago, 蒸したまご] around there.

Momiji-bashi [=Maple bridge] arches over the lower Tsuetate river. Lots of Emas shaped as a carp are hanging on Momiji bridge [Japanese: もみじ橋] because carp-shaped ema is reputed to make your love or wish come true. For that, we need to write our wish on carp-Ema and hang it on Maple bridge. It may be because both "carp [鯉]" and "love [恋]" are called "koi" in Japanese. When we realized two meaning of koi, it was more interesting. We could fully enjoy Tsuetate-onsen hot spring! 

Tomo&Chouchou's advices for Tsuetate-onsen Koinobori Festival

1)Tsuetate onsen is the origin of Koinobori festival. We highly recommend to go to Tsuetate-onsen in Spring. Tsuetate-onsen Koinobori Festival can be enjoye by kids, family, couple and friends. 

2)We can hang carp-shaped ema on Momiji bridge. We can also use carp-shaped Ema as a postcard. We need to paste a stamp on ema and put it into the post. If we go to the post office in Tsuetate, they will stamp postmark of Koinobori [=carp steamer] on it! Why not sending it to your friends, family or yourself?


information
Tsuetate-onsen hot spring "Koinobori festival" 杖立温泉 鯉のぼり祭り
from April 1 to May 6