Fireworks Day

What Is Fireworks Day?

May 28th is "Fireworks Day" (花火の日, Hanabi no Hi) in Japan. According to the popular account, on the 28th day of the fifth month of the old lunar calendar in 1733 (the 18th year of the Kyōhō era), fireworks were set off over the Sumida River during the "Ryōgoku Kawabiraki" (両国川開き), the opening of the river's summer boating season, together with a water-god festival held to console the souls of those who had died in famine and epidemics and to pray for the end of disease. This event is widely regarded as the origin of the Sumida River Fireworks Festival, one of Japan's best-known summer fireworks traditions.

The Origin of Japan's Summer Fireworks Tradition

Fireworks (花火, hanabi — literally "fire flowers") were being enjoyed in Japan by the Edo period, and the fireworks at the Sumida River's summer opening became a famous sight of Edo, drawing crowds to both banks and onto boats. This combination of water, summer evening, and fireworks became the template for Japan's summer fireworks festivals (花火大会, hanabi taikai). Recent research, however, suggests that the "began in 1733" story took shape gradually from the late 19th to the early 20th century, and that the displays may actually have started as a way for fireworks makers to advertise their products.

Tamaya and Kagiya

The most famous fireworks makers of Edo were the Kagiya (鍵屋) and the Tamaya (玉屋). The Tamaya was founded when a head clerk of the Kagiya's sixth master was allowed to set up his own branch. The two houses divided the river above and below Ryōgoku Bridge, and spectators shouted "Tamaya!" or "Kagiya!" to cheer the displays. The shout "Tamaya!" survives to this day as a cheerful cry at a particularly beautiful firework.

Japan's Fireworks Culture Today

Japan holds a great many fireworks festivals every summer. Major events like the Sumida River Fireworks Festival and the Nagaoka Festival Grand Fireworks (長岡花火) draw huge crowds. Japanese fireworks artisans (花火師, hanabishi) are known for shells that open into perfect spheres from any angle, such as the classic "chrysanthemum" burst (菊, kiku) and the drooping willow pattern (柳, yanagi). The colors come from metal compounds — strontium for red and copper compounds for blue, for example.

Fun Facts

• Yukata season: Fireworks festivals are one of the main occasions on which Japanese people wear the yukata (浴衣, a lightweight summer kimono).
• Nagaoka's Phoenix: The Nagaoka festival in Niigata is famous for its sweeping "Phoenix" (フェニックス) display, first launched as a prayer for recovery after the 2004 Chūetsu earthquake.