A Boys' Day outing

Two young boys point with excitement at the colorful banners waving above a castle wall. Banners like these were flown to celebrate Boys’ Day, on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. Japanese people today continue to celebrate this day by hoisting carp-shaped banners. One boy has a pair of toy swords tucked in his waistband, while the other rides on the shoulder of a man with a flowered robe and short hair. Their companion in the striped robe and wide obi might appear to be a woman, but is in fact an adolescent male. During their teens, young men commonly shaved their hair at the crown of the head, leaving long forelocks at the front and sides. He carries a sword at his side (the hilt is visible in front of his fan), an indication of his gender. A maid follows the entourage, sheltering the smaller boy’s head with a parasol.