Originally, Nobori were used on the battlefield to identify the troops; some were to show the warriors where their taisho (general) was, others were used to shift the troops. It took several men to hold the big Nobori banners. It was an effective tool in the 16th century especially when numbers exceeded 100,000 in major battles. Drums and trumpets were also used for the same reason.

When Ieyasu (Tokugawa) took control and united Japan in the beginning of the Edo period (1603-1868), it was the end of major battles. The nobori banners became more ornamental rather than tools for battle. The families of samurai and aristocrats started to display nobori along with their armor to celebrate the birth of their boys and probably for other ceremonial occasions. When this custom spread to the general population later in the Edo period, carps and different banners were created for wealthy merchants and businesses. We can see some fine art work on nobori from this period (late Edo) to early Showa.