Kamifūsen facts for kids
Kamifūsen (紙風船, literally: "paper balloon") are special paper balloons from Japan. They are simple, fun toys for kids. Sometimes, they are given away by companies as advertisements. You can also see them as big, glowing balloons flying at festivals.
Smaller kamifūsen are very popular traditional toys in Japan. These paper balloons have a small opening. When you bounce them, they magically puff up again! They are made from a special kind of paper called washi. This paper is thin, shiny, and can hold air well. It's also a bit stretchy, so it can change shape easily and stay that way. Scientists are even interested in how these cool paper toys work!
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Long ago, kamifūsen were sold in small shops called dagashiya. These shops sold candy, snacks, and cheap toys to kids. Paper balloons were a fun and cheaper choice than rubber balloons. Today, you can find them in souvenir shops and buy them online.
There's also a different kind of paper balloon called a kakufūsen (角風船, literally: "angled balloon"). Instead of being round, it's shaped like a cube. These cube-shaped balloons were often used by old medicine companies for advertising. Much bigger kamifūsen, which look like sky lanterns, are flown every year at a special event called the Kamihinokinai Paper Balloon Festival.
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How Paper Balloons Work
Toy kamifūsen have some surprising features that scientists have studied. Even though they have an open hole, they tend to inflate (fill with air) instead of deflating (losing air) when you bounce them.
According to a scientist named Ichiro Fukumori, a kamifūsen stays inflated when you bounce it on your hand. What's even cooler is that if a kamifūsen is flat, bouncing it repeatedly can make it swell up and become fully inflated all by itself! The paper's stretchiness isn't enough to explain this. When you bat a kamifūsen, it actually pulls air in from the outside!
Types of Kamifūsen
Some kamifūsen are made for decoration. They come in fun shapes like animals, birds, or even fruits!
Kakufūsen: The Cube Balloon
A kakufūsen (角風船) is a paper balloon shaped like a cube. The word "kaku" means "angled." These were often used for advertising by businesses. Salesmen called baiyaku-san (売薬さん) from traditional medicine companies in Toyama used to give out kakufūsen. These balloons had the drug company's ads printed on them.
These salesmen had a unique way of selling medicine. They would leave small boxes filled with different medicines and bandages at customers' homes for free at first. Then, they would return later to refill the box and collect payment for what was used. This system of "use first, pay later" for medicines is called "okigusuri."
Kamihinokinai Paper Balloon Festival
The Kamihinokinai Paper Balloon Festival (上桧木内の紙風船上げ) is a big event held every year on February 10th in Semboku, Akita. Hundreds of very large hot-air kamifūsen are launched into the sky. They look a lot like sky lanterns. People fly them for good luck in the coming year.
This festival has a long history, going back to old myths. It was stopped during World War II but started again in 1974. Legend says that Hiraka Gennai, a scientist from the Edo era, first brought paper balloons to the area. He used them to mark copper mines in the mountains and also for fun entertainment.
Kamifūsen in Japanese Stories
Kamifūsen have even been featured in the titles of two important Japanese movies. Humanity and Paper Balloons (人情紙風船 Ninjō Kami Fūsen) is a famous drama film from 1937. Another movie, Torasan and a Paper Balloon (つらいよ 寅次郎紙風船 Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Torajirō Kamifūsen), is a comedy film from 1981.
