Japan's Children's Day Celebration
Kodomo no hi
at the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens' (RTBG) Japanese Garden
Saturday 29 April – Sunday 7 May 2023
Children's Day in Japan is set aside as a national holiday on 5 May each year to celebrate children. The event pays respect and honours children's strengths and personalities and grants wishes of health and happiness.
On Children's Day in Japan, carp-shaped streamers and windsocks called 'koinobori' (a symbol of the carp's strength as it swims against the current) are displayed outside homes, in streets and parks, representing the desire for children to become healthy, brave and strong individuals. Many other communities across the world have joined Japan in celebrating children, and their local Japanese community, by running their own Japanese Children's Day celebrations.
The City of Hobart, in partnership with the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens, will celebrate Children's Day in 2023 with a display of children's written works on handcrafted carp shaped decorations hung in the RTBG's Japanese Garden. The Gardens will also display several six metre traditional Koinobori windsocks donated by Hobart's Japanese sister city, Yaizu.
Schools who would like to bring groups to the Gardens during the week can contact the RTBG, who are extending an invitation for a 'meet, greet and guided tour of the Gardens' for students. Please contact RTBG Visitor Experience Coordinator, Esther Beecroft directly if you wish to take up this invitation. Esther's email address is esther.beecroft@rtbg.tas.gov.au.
2023 events
Japanese themed day - Youth ARC
When: 3-6 pm Thursday 27 April 2023
Where: Youth ARC - 1 Market Place, Hobart
If you are aged 12 -25 we invite you to head to Youth ARC to Join us for a fun afternoon full of fashion, culture, art and food.
Event page
Japan's Children's Day Koinbori display - Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens
When: Saturday 29 April - Sunday 7 May 2023
Where: Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens
The display which celebrates children, also celebrates the cultural richness of our community and Hobart's highly valued Sister City relationship with Yaizu in Japan. It will feature:
- handcrafted carp shaped decorations by local school children hung in the garden
- six metre traditional Koinobori windsocks donated by Hobart's Japanese sister city, Yaizu
- information about Children's Day and our city's relationship with Yaizu
Event page
Japan's Children's Day celebration - Wellington Court
When: 10.30 am - 2.30 pm Saturday 6 May 2023
Where: Wellington Court, Hobart
Come join in a range of Japanese cultural activities including carp making, art displays, live performances, games and giveaways.
Event page
Instructions for decorations
This year we are asking students of all ages and subjects to explore their understanding, thoughts and themes of Children's Day to write a poem, reflection, experience or other, onto their Koinobori or carp shaped decoration.
- To align with the City of Hobart's goals for Zero Waste to Landfill, materials used to create the carp decorations must be made from compostable materials – e.g. Grease proof paper, recycled cloth, waxed cardboard and milk cartons, compostable plastic containers, compostable cellophane, thick cardboard tubes, materials from nature or other.
- Decoration's embellishments need to be secured in a way that ensures that they will not fall off and litter the gardens.
- Writing and any illustrations to be in wax crayon or non-toxic waterproof pen, ink or paint.
- All decorations and materials used must be able to withstand wind and rain.
- If possible words are to be written in English on one side of the carp and Japanese on the other side.
- Decorations must have a string, a minimum of 60cm long, attached very securely as to be suitable for hanging outside in wind and rain.
- Each individual decoration must also be discretely marked with school and student name to ensure its safe return.
- Decorations must be delivered in a box or similar suitable for transporting and ease of handling.
- Please clearly label each box delivered with the name of the school and number of boxes e.g. 1:3, 2:3, 3;3.
Decorations need to be received at the Hobart Town Hall no later than Wednesday 26 April 2023 and must be collected between Tuesday 9 and Friday 12 May 2023.
Please contact the international relations team to make arrangements to deliver and collect your decorations at internationalrelations@hobartcity.com.au.
Examples of previous year's decorations for inspiration(PDF, 2MB)
2022 photo gallery