This set of two wooden stands and 32 arrow shafts is part of a Tango no Sekku (Boys' Day; now Kodomo no Hi, Children's Day) decorative festival set. Each stand holds 16 arrows (ya) and is hinged, holding nine arrows on one side and seven on the other. The arrow shafts are black with a gold band near the top; each has three brown and white feathers. The stands are positioned behind the display like a byōbu (folding screen).
On Kodomo no Hi, families raise a carp-shaped flag, called a koinobori, for each boy or child in the family. Koinobori flags are chosen because when flown in the breeze, they look as if they are swimming upstream, alluding to a Chinese legend that holds that when a carp swims upstream it becomes a dragon. Families may also display samurai dolls and other figures in the home, such as a Kintaro (Golden Boy) doll, typically depicted riding on a giant carp and wearing a kabuto military helmet. Traditional foods on Kodomo no Hi include mochi rice cakes wrapped in Kashiwa (oak) leaves and chimaki (sweet rice paste wrapped in an iris or bamboo leaf).
