The Sumidagawa Fireworks Festival (隅田川花火大会, Sumidagawa Hanabi Taikai) is an annual fireworks festival held on the last Saturday in July, over the Sumidagawa near Asakusa.
Unlike fireworks displays in other parts of the world, the Sumidagawa
Hanabi Taikai follows the Japanese tradition of being an intense
competition between rival pyrotechnic groups.
Each group tries to out-do
the last, and the result is an incredible variety of fireworks, not
just in different colors and patterns, but forming shapes as complicated
as Doraemon, Pikachu, or kanji.
It is a revival of celebrations held in the Edo period,
and annually attracts close to a million celebrants. Similar events are
held at the same time of year at many other sites throughout Japan.
The tradition of the Sumidagawa fireworks festival can be traced back to
1732, when fireworks were launched as part of festivals for the dead.
The country was in an economic crisis, and the people suffered from
famine and disease to a greater degree than normal. Thus, the rituals
and celebrations in which the fireworks took part played multiple roles.
These were mourning observances for the dead, as well as celebrations
of life, and entertainment for the poverty-stricken masses.
Originally called Ryōgoku Kawabiraki (両国川開き), the display had become an established tradition by 1810.
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