In the western region of Aomori Prefecture, at the northern tip of Honshu, impoverished samurai began making Tsugaru kites in the Edo period as a side job. While bamboo is used in most Japanese kite-making, bamboo does not grow well in the cold Tsugaru region, so local makers began using thinly shaved hiba wood, which is light and highly elastic, for their kite frames. Tsugaru kite paintings are characterized by thick ink lines and vivid primary colors which are used to depict heroes, warriors, and military commanders from Chinese and Japanese history.