If you grew up with Japanese culture and boys in your family, you might have flown these koinobori (carp wind socks) on bamboo poles, outside of your home, indicating how many boys you had in your family. Since I grew up with 2 brothers in rural Hawaii, of course we had to fly 2 koi every year. And I always flew one for my son on Boy’s Day, May 5.

Yume Japanese Gardens put up their koi socks on April 24, and will be flying them until May 6, 2023. So honor the boys and children in your family.

“The carp-shaped windsocks are traditionally flown in Japan for Children’s Day (子供の日, Kodomo no hi), a national holidays that falls the 5th day of the 5th month. In Japanese culture, the carp symbolizes courage and strength because of its ability to swim up a waterfall.”

Yume Gardens is open Thursday to Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and on Sundays 12 to 5 p.m., at www.yumegardens.org. But they are closing for the summer as usual on May 7 through October 1, 2023.