#58 Fireworks display in Japan

On the history and uniqueness of Japanese fireworks and where to see them this summer!

Dear friends. I apologize that my postings have been irregular due to another commitment. I finally came back from Pakistan, and I’m ready to write about traveling in Japan. Regarding my trip to Pakistan, I may write about it some other time. So let us get started.

July will soon be upon us, and from July to August in Japan, large-scale fireworks displays will be held all over the country. Many fireworks displays have not been held for three years due to COVID-19, but this summer will be the first in four years in many places, making it a long-awaited summer for fireworks fans.

Sumida River Fireworks Festival

Fireworks are often used for New Year's countdowns worldwide, but why do they concentrate around summer in Japan? We look at the background of this seasonal event in Japan and guide you through the fireworks displays you should go to in the Tokyo area.

This video was taken at Sumida River Fireworks Festival before the pandemic.

History of a firework display in Japan

It is said that fireworks in Japan first blossomed as a popular pastime during the Edo period (1603-1868), when the Great Kyoho Famine of 1732 killed so many people, partly due to an epidemic. The 8th Shogun at the time, Yoshimune, held a memorial service and fireworks display in conjunction with a river-opening event on the Sumida River. This is believed to be the origin of the large-scale fireworks display. But one question arises, why is it always in the middle of summer in Japan? 

1. Later, during the Edo period, many pyrotechnicians (firework technicians), such as 'Tamaya' and 'Kagiya', known as the call to arms when looking up at fireworks, emerged and started setting off fireworks in competition with each other. This was accepted by the common people of Edo, who preferred the spectacular, and the setting from fireworks took root as a regular event at river-opening ceremonies.

2. Japan’s hot and humid climate also made fireworks displays more firmly rooted in the evening cool-down culture of watching fireworks while enjoying the night breeze. Fireworks displays are thus a much-loved summer tradition in Japan.

Japanese fireworks are unique.

Fireworks from different countries each have their unique characteristics. Japanese fireworks are known for their perfectly spherical shape, their excellent color transformation, their clean disappearing point, and their multi-layered construction in different colors. So we can say the Japanese one is very artistic.

Japanese fireworks are relatively newer than Western fireworks, but we can understand how unique they are when we look at their mechanics. According to Japan HANABI Association, the three main characteristics of Japanese fireworks are as follows:

1. They explode into large, perfect spheres
2. Every hoshi (star) in the petal transforms (changes color)
3. Two or three cores can be layered concentrically

The difference in the structures between the Western and the Japanese (Quoted from Japan HANABI Association website)

If you are interested in the technical details, visit their web page, which will tell you all about the uniqueness of Japanese fireworks.

Japan's leading fireworks display

Tsuchiura, 90 minutes in the north-east of Tokyo, is the nearest.

1. Omagari Hanabi:
   📆 late August📍Akita

   Along with Tsuchiura and Ise Jingu, it is one of Japan's three oldest competitive fireworks displays. Usually held on the fourth Saturday of August, it has become a short summer tradition in the Tohoku region.
   (Official website/ Information in English)

2. Tsuchiura All Japan Fireworks Competition:
   📆 early November📍Ibaraki

   Some of the best fireworks you can see outside of the summer season. The event was originally a memorial event for officers who died in the war.

   (Official website/Information in English)

3. Nagaoka Fireworks:
   📆 early August📍Niigata

   Along with its elegance as one of Japan's three major fireworks displays, the Nagaoka fireworks display has another meaning: it is a memorial to those who died in the air raids in Nagaoka, an expression of gratitude to the predecessors who worked so hard to rebuild the city and a wish for lasting peace, and it launches three all-white shaku-dama. They will launch 20,000 fireworks in two nights! (Official website in English)

Tokyo’s best fireworks display

For those visiting or residing in Tokyo, here are some of the major fireworks displays in Tokyo. They all take place in the evening and go on for about 2 hours.

1. Katsushika Fireworks Festival (July 25, 2023) — 20,000 fireworks

2. Sumida River Fireworks Festival (July 29, 2023) — 20,000 fireworks

3. Adachi Fireworks (late July 2023) — 15,000 fireworks

These three venues are equally good, but from the point of transportation access from central Tokyo, I recommend the Sumida River Fireworks Festival. The Sumida River is very close to the launch site, so it lacks the grandeur of fireworks on the banks of a major river, but you can still feel close to the fireworks as if you were enjoying the cool of the evening. At the same time, the venue of the Sumida River Fireworks Festival is next to Asakusa. You will expect so many people in the area.

Do you need tickets?

In general, there are many free seatings along the riverbank in most venues, but you will need to arrive early to secure spots for more popular events. The biggest advantage of having paid seats is that you do not have to walk around looking for a place to watch the fireworks, and at the same time, you can watch the fireworks up close and realistically. In the case of the Sumida River, you are almost directly next to the launch site, so depending on the direction of the wind, burning debris from the launched fireworks may fall on you.

You can book special seating tickets from the events’ websites, but they have to be booked in advance. For popular events, tickets are either sold on a first-come-first-served basis or drawn by lottery.

Tickets seem to sell out quickly, so I recommend booking them early if you want to book special seating (although it’s not necessary!) Out of the three events listed above, it seems that Katsushika Fireworks Festival is the only one that’s still not sold out:

Tickets for Katsushika Fireworks

What to wear, what to expect

Yukata is the best to wear at the event.

Fireworks events are also great opportunities to wear yukata (summer kimono) and enjoy the festive summer atmosphere. You can either rent them or buy them since they are much cheaper than a normal kimono. Not even Yukata, please keep in your mind to wear anything cotton to avoid the fire since you may get burning debris from the sky.

There are also usually some food stands and trucks with Japanese fast food. Try kakigori (shaved ice), yakisoba (fried noodles), and takoyaki (octopus balls), as well as activities like kingyo-sukui or goldfish scooping. Don’t forget to bring mosquito repellant and some cash too!

Fireworks at home

If you don’t have the time or the opportunity to go to fireworks events, you can buy store-bought fireworks to enjoy at home or in nearby parks. You can buy them in convenience stores as well as in discount stores like Don Quijote.

Many people lament the high temperatures and humidity of summer in Japan, but there is a uniquely Japanese way to enjoy summer: fireworks. Please try it if you have the chance.