As you may know, the Yokaichi giant kite is replaced with a new one every three years. This year is when they will make a new giant kite.

During this past weekend on July 7-8, they announced the new kite design and started making the new giant kite. I missed this event three years ago, so I was determined to see it this time.

I attended the kite design announcement on Sat., and also participated on the first day on Sun. when they started to make the giant kite. Now I can say that I helped to make the giant kite which will fly from next May.
http://www.chunichi.co.jp/article/shiga/20070709/CK2007070902030697.html

I helped with the Paper Joining 紙継ぎ operation. About 400 sheets of washi paper from Mino (Gifu) were pasted together to make a giant sheet of paper equivalent to 100 tatami mats. I took pictures of course.
https://photoguide.jp/pix/thumbnails.php?album=586

The Giant Kite Preservation Society 八日市大凧保存会 makes the kite with the help from the public. Anybody can go to the Yokaichi Giant Kite Museum Annex 八日市大凧会館別館 and help make the kite. All the kite-making steps can be easily done by anyone.

The hozonkai people are also very friendly and glad to answer questions about the kite. It will take about a month to finish the kite. They have a schedule too:
http://www.gaido.jp/machikado/machikado.php?ID=1732

I plan to go back again a few more times. It will be interesting to see how we draw and paint the design on the kite paper. If you are an art student or like to fly kites, I highly recommend this.

http://mytown.asahi.com/shiga/news.php?k_id=26000000707030002