Paper balloon-up of the Kamihinokinai

Warrior picture and beautiful images are drawn, a huge paper balloon wearing a lamp is the annual event dancing in the night sky of midwinter as twinkling star 's.

There is nothing that reservoir to write the beginning of this event. Gennai Hiraga is a scientist of the Edo era in the legend, when he visited the technical guidance of the copper mine, it is said to be told as a play based on the principle of a hot-air balloon.

Previously (those that put the fire loading the rice straw in the rice field, DONTO baked, also referred to as a top brush) bumper crops and wife safety the hope "insect-baked" at the same time is carried out, has been positioned as ethnic faith heritage. The event, which was interrupted one time scissors the war, by the enthusiastic efforts by volunteers of local Kamihinokinai, revived at Miyata in 1974, became a winter tradition that represents the Akita Prefecture.

The structure of the paper balloon

Literally, paper balloon is made of paper. Once upon a time I was using rice paper for calligraphy, but in recent years the huge advances, now uses the business paper of about 1 meter width. This paper the bonded 8 meters from the length of 3 meters (those big 12 meters) create a cylindrical. The top of the mouth was sealed so as not to escape hot air at paper according to the size, the lower part of the mouth, to attach the bamboo wheels about 3 meters 1 meters in diameter.

Finished collateral to be a lift source of paper balloon to the wheel (cloth ball soaked in oil) was fixed. Production of paper balloon starts from the launch production two months about before (usually in December). In Kamihinokinai eight villages, gathered in the time will come when men and women of all ages each village hall, to advance the selection of the pattern from the cutting of the paper, a series of operations, such as how to draw in cooperation.

In the cypress in the district on which is surrounded on all sides to the mountain, because it was industry from rice and mountain work is old, past, I was often able to pray for the "rich harvest" and "good health", recently " My wife safety "and" business prosperity ", now pray for even" traffic safety "," passing prayer ". Paper balloon is, each is committed thoughts, wishes to the year, it will launch in the night sky of midwinter and as voice in heaven reach.