set of these toys is bought for every son born in the family. Hence in
old Japanese families the display on the fifth day of the fifth month
is extensive and brilliant. Besides the display in-doors, on a bamboo
pole erected outside is hung, by a string to the top of the pole, a
representation of a large fish in paper. The paper being hollow, the
breeze easily fills out the body of the fish, which flaps its tail and
fins in a natural manner. One may count hundreds of these floating in
the air over the city.

The nobori, as the paper fish is called, is intended to show that a son
has been born during the year, or at least that there are sons in the
family. The fish represented is the carp, which is able to swim swiftly
against the current and to leap over waterfalls. This act of the carp is
a favorite subject with native artists, and is also typical of the young
man, especially the young Samurai, mounting over all difficulties to
success and quiet prosperity.

One favorite game, which has now gone out of fashion, was that in which
the boys formed themselves into a daimio's procession, having
forerunners, officers, etc., and imitating as far as possible the pomp
and circumstance of the old daimio's train. Another game which was very
popular represented, in mimic war, the struggles of two great noble
families (like the red and white roses of England). The boys of a town,
district, or school, ranged themselves into two parties, each with
flags. Those of the Heiki were white, those of the Genji red. Sometimes
every boy had a flag, and the object of the contest, which was begun at
the tap of a gun, was to seize the flags of the enemy. The party
securing the greatest number of flags won the victory. In other cases
the flags were fastened on the back of each contestant, who was armed
with a bamboo for a sword, and who had fastened on a pad over his head a
flat round piece of earthenware, so that a party of them looked not
unlike the faculty of a college. Often these parties of boys numbered
several hundred, and were marshalled in squadrons as in a battle. At a
given signal the battle commenced, the object being to break the earthen
disk on the head of the enemy. The contest was usually very exciting.
Whoever had his earthen disk demolished had to retire from the field.
The party having the greatest number of broken disks, indicative of
cloven skulls, were declared the losers. This game has been forbidden by
the Government as be