Japanese Fireworks, 'Hanabi'

If you can have chance to travel in Japan in summer, I strongly recommend you to enjoy Japanese fireworks. While it is awfully crowded and humid at firework display site, you can see the most beautiful and dynamic fireworks in the worlds.


The big three Japanese fireworks displays

• Sumidagawa Fireworks (see ditail)

Photo; Taito Ward / 写真提供：台東区

• Tokyo bay Fireworks (see detail)

 

Jingu Fireworks (see detail)

 

 

How to get to the sites

It is so crowded at most of the popular firework display site. Therefore you need to head for the site 60 min earlier than usual traffic condition. You might be stressed in crowded train and on the crowded street on the way. However I believe that you wouldn’t regret such effort after seeing amazing fireworks. You even could become to enjoy crowdedness after fireworks display will be started, impressed with it and shouting ‘Tamaya (like “bravo” for fireworks)’ with huge number of audiences together.

 

What to bring

• Beer, and something to eat and drink: it is allowed to drink alcohol at fireworks display site. You can find a lot of street stalls to sell beer, bento box, etc. around the site.

• Picnic sheet: Japanese usually see fireworks, not standing but sitting down on the street or grass on liver sides. Otherwise, you can use plastic bag as the substitute, which you got when you buy beer.

• Round fan/folding fan: because fireworks display site is hot and humid, fans are necessary articles to cool yourself. Using such Japanese traditional fans, you can enjoy Japanese taste more

• Camera or Smartphone: at fireworks display sites, you can find that a lot of Japanese people shoots pictures with smartphone and share those with friends on SNS such as Facebook. Because Japanese fireworks are so gorgeous and bright, you can take nice pictures even with smartphone’s camera.