Back in our Japan days Nadia and I used to cycle quite often down to the river. We would bike alongside the Muko River on pathways that were generally flat and arboured by cherry trees. In spring-time this was a popular spot with locals and blue plastic picnic sheets were common as people snacked on festival food and drank sake under the flower-pregnant boughs.

On one occasion in May we were passing by a farmhouse that sat on this narrow river plain and noticed that it was flying flags or kites. These were Boys Day kites in the shape of koi (carp) and many houses sported them from early May onwards.

I found a smaller version of the originals when I was shopping in Daiso recently. Using a long bamboo pole, I hoisted it into a pile of dirt and there it flutters in the Australian spring.