Hasui chooses to represent a part of Japan that is rarely depicted in color woodcuts of the time: a somewhat poorer section of the Kagawa prefecture, where the walls of houses are chipped away at by time. This does not detract from the beauty of the scene, in which the symbolic fish is shown in a place of prominence and joy, and the blue sky, dotted with soft white clouds, is reflected in a small stone drainage ditch between the houses and street.
The Hotoi catalogue raisonne naotes:"Koiobori (carp banners) are today flown on 'Children's Day' (May 5), but when this custom originated in the mid Tokugawa period (1600 - 1868) it was known as the Boy's festival (tango no sekku). On this day carp banners were displayed outside one's home and samurai dolls displayed inside. Both were symbols of strength, powerand success."