Sumida River Fireworks Festival
Date: Sat. July 25, 2009
The festival will be cancelled in case of rain.
Time: 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Location: Sumida River (at two sites. For details, see the map).

Origins of the Kawabiraki (Opening of the River) and Fireworks Displays (from a Shinto rite to a pleasant pastime)

●The Ryogoku Fireworks Festival is the oldest fireworks festivals for which historical records exist. We now turn to the Edo Period. In the great famine in the 17th Year of Kyoho (1732) many people died of starvation and contagious diseases, resulting in a significant influence on society and a major decrease in Japan's population. On May 28 (lunar calendar date) of the following year (1733), the shogunate (eighth shogun Yoshimune) staged a ceremony of the water god on the Sumida River to pray for the souls of the victims of the disasters and to drive away the evil disease. At this time, the restaurants near the Ryogoku Bridge received official permission to set off fireworks, which was the start of a long tradition. * During the Edo Period, the Sumida River was also known as Ookawa ("large river"). The river is also known by that name in classical rakugo (traditional Japanese comic monologue). * Origin of the name Ryogoku Bridge: This bridge was erected on the border between Shimousa Providence and Musashi Province. Because it connected those two provinces, it received the name Ryogoku ("two provinces") Bridge in 1686. * Completion of Ryogoku Bridge: December 13 in 1659.

In 1956 In 1956 A Store of Knowledge on Fireworks

Types of fireworks for launching

●Starmine Rather than a type of firework, the word Starmine refers to technical aspects of launching fireworks. At the same time, it expresses how several varieties of fireworks are launched to create a harmony of colors and shapes. * The sense and skills of fireworks pyrotechnicians ●Warimono This has the basic structure of a firework. On the inner side of the shell many smaller fireworks known as stars are lined up evenly. These individual fireworks give forth light and open up in the shape of a ball. The closer they are in shape to a perfect circle, the better they are said to be. * There are a large number of papers for the shell and a large amount of breaking powder. ●Pokamono The shell rises up in the sky and breaks in two, after which the casings and the mechanisms (including parachutes or flags) descend to the ground. When casings are contained, the element of color is added in irregular movements. * Both the number of papers for the shell and the amount of breaking powder is small. ●Han-Warimono This is a firework containing the characteristics of both the warimono and the pokamono. When it opens up in the air, it is characterized by a delicate coloring and configuration that differs from larger fireworks. * Fireworks: The product of ideas and technology ●Katamono This is a firework that displays some structure or form when it opens up in the air. Development has continued in the hands of skilled fireworks artisans since the early years of the Meiji Period. Nowadays rather complex forms are possible. Here is a firework that you are almost certain to see at a fireworks festival. The photograph at right shows a "Snail" firework. * The photographs of fireworks on the left side were all taken at the Sumida River Fireworks Festival in 2006. ●Gimmick Fireworks (Shikake-Hanabi) Bamboo or other materials are used to create a model, after which fireworks are attached to the structure and caused to ignite in a dynamic firework in which the shape is shown in bold relief and brilliant color in the night sky. ●Large Shell Firework (Oodama) As the name indicates, this is a firework that boasts one of the largest sizes among fireworks. Generally those fireworks measuring 5 sun (6.5 inches) (No. 15 Shell) or larger are known as Oodama. The largest such firework, registered in the Guinness Book of Records, was a 4 shaku (approx.11.8 inches) Shell. The locations where such fireworks can be launched are also limited, so they are naturally not found at the Sumida River Fireworks Festival. ■The colors of fireworks ●Flame Reaction Fireworks are pure chemistry! They use the night sky as their canvas for painting beautiful and colorful pictures. But where do those colors come from? Did you ever perform an experiment in chemistry class in school where you made a fine powder of metals and burned the powder to produce colors? The metal makes a crackling sound and emits color when it burns. This is known as the flame reaction. Fireworks are a form of technology that makes use of this chemical reaction. Nowadays modern chemistry has come to a certain understanding of the color reactions of compounds. Nevertheless, we are not yet at the stage where we can prepare colors at will. ●Composition A mixture of flame color agent (metallic chemicals), a combustion agent (combustion improver), and oxidizer (oxygenization agent) is used to create the basis for the firework. Even with the same composition, the color will vary depending on who makes the firework. And even in the case of red, it changes to dark red and to bright red, for example. Here is a field, then, where the skilled firework artisan can really show his skills. The composition tables for the toy fireworks used in the Edo Period still exist as precious documents and materials. ●Modern Colors, Edo Period Colors ("wabi" or Japanese-style flame) Modern fireworks are extremely colorful and gorgeous, including red, yellow, green, white, purples, crimson and silver, to name just a few. In the Edo Period, however, there were no chemicals like those available today, which meant artisans had to make mixtures of sulfur, saltpeter and carbon to create changes in the color combination. This was the production technology for fireworks, which showed advances in technology with the passage of time. There are some colors which were only created quite recently. Aqua: Completed in 1998 Emerald green: Completed in 1998 Orange: Completed in 2000 A traditional technology that is even used today is known as "ken" (exposure). By causing the firework to give off black, it appears for a moment as if the firework has extinguished. By causing it to give off color again, a deep impression is created in adding the element of "voidness." ■Dimensions of Fireworks Number / Finished Size / Number of Papers for Shell / Weight / Launch Height /Diameter at time of opening No. 3　 8.5cm 　9-12 0.2kg 　120m 　30m No. 4　 11.5cm 　12-15 0.5kg　 160m　 65m No. 5　 14.2cm 　18-21 1.3kg　 190m　 85m No. 6 　16.7cm 　23-25 2.0kg　 220m　 110m No. 7 　20.5cm 　27-30 3.0kg　 250m　 120m No. 8 　23.5cm 　32-40 4.8kg　 280m 　140m No. 10　 29.5cm　 43-50 8.5kg 　330m　 160m No. 20　 58.5cm　 180 70.0kg　 500m　 240m No. 30 　88.5cm 　450 280.0kg 　600m　 275m * Reference works: Hanabi-Taikai Ni Ikou ("Let's go to a fireworks festival"), Shinchosha Publishing Co., Ltd. Hanabi No Hon ("The book of fireworks"), Tankosha Publishing Co., Ltd. * Photographs: Logical Think Co.