OVERVIEW
The Tokyo Midtown Koinobori Gallery is an annual spring event featuring over 100 colorful, artist-designed koinobori (carp streamers) "swimming" in the Midtown Garden for Children’s Day (May 5). The streamers are hung in the open-air Midtown Garden and to wish children a healthy and steady growth on Children's Day. The koinobori will first be exhibited in Tokyo, Japan, before being shipped to Hawai‘i for display at Capitol Modern in Honolulu.
INSPIRATION
Oodles of Noodles stems from my love of food. The koinobori features two of my favorite noodle dishes—ramen from Japan and saimin from Hawai‘i—highlighting how Hawai‘i’s diverse cultural influences have transformed and reimagined this iconic dish.
Above is the design for both sides of the koinobori, with the pink side illustrating ramen and the green side representing saimin.
Below are photos of the koinobori installed and flying at Tokyo Midtown Park in Japan for the 2026 Koinobori Gallery alongside other talented artists and designers.
Applications used: Adobe Illustrator
