The Japan Foundation, Cairo：Kite Flying at the Pyramids

The Japan Foundation, Cairo

The Japan Foundation Cairo Office organized kite-flying event at the Giza's Pyramids on February 8th. Since it was the first time for the Agency of Archeology of Egypt, who had kindly permitted us specially to use the premises, to hear about such a unique idea, it could be said that we flew Japanese kites for the first time after the Pyramids were constructed there.

On this occasion, we invited kite specialists, Mr. and Mrs. Ohashi and organized kite-making workshops for children in Cairo. The children obviously enjoyed more with the kites of their own making, rather than those given by others.

Among the hundreds of threads the participants were handling, 'Arch-kites' of the Mr. Ohashi's invention have jumped one after another from tiny boxes from two distant spots, intended to hang arch over the three big Pyramids. Unfortunately, since the wind was blowing from undesirable direction, the arch was heading for the Cairo city rather than the Pyramids. However, high and widely spread beautiful kites in row attracted not only the participants but also many tourists of various nationalities.

The staff members of the Japan Foundation, who participated in the workshops and learned how to make kites, have already started organizing workshops on their own to spread Japanese kites all over the country, but on a little different condition.

How different? We substitute 'Kebab sticks' for 'takehigo' (thin bamboo sticks).

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