Kite Museum

Lonely Planet review

The Kite Museum, just behind Tokyu department store in Shibuya-ku, is one big reproof to all those rinky-dink kites with plain plastic sails, plywood frames and a Sunday driver at the end of the string. Most of the 4000 kites in the museum are traditional Japanese kites ( edo nishiki-e dako ) but there are some fine examples from China and other Asian countries.

The frames are mainly bamboo, while the sails consist of washi , a type of handmade paper made from the kohzo tree (a species of mulberry). The paper is both lightweight and strong.

Illustrations are first outlined in dark sumi ink to restrict the pigments to the desired areas and then the artist goes to town on the design itself. Kite scenes include scowling Kabuki actors, samurai warriors hacking each other to death against a busy backdrop of psychedelic swirls and cute fluffy 'Hello Kitty' type animals doing unnatural things.