SAGA, Aug 18 (News On Japan) - A fiery display of hand-held fireworks, known as tezutsu hanabi, lit up the night sky at a festival in Saga City. The spectacle featured men raising 90-centimeter bamboo tubes packed with gunpowder, blasting out showers of sparks.
The fireworks were staged by a volunteer group formed to energize the local community. Together, the members prepare from the ground up each year with the aim of building a tradition that will last for a century.
Tezutsu hanabi originated in Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, more than 400 years ago and continue to be performed annually across the region. The Saga group also traveled to Toyohashi to learn the techniques directly and has carried them on ever since.
One participant, Yoshida, who works at a local certified childcare center, was inspired after helping with preparations last year to step up as a performer for the first time. "I wanted to try it myself. Every day my determination has grown stronger, and I hope showing my effort will inspire admiration from others," he said.
On the festival day, as rain poured down, Yoshida and his teammates carried out the final preparations with support from veteran performers who had traveled from Toyohashi. Yoshida repeated the advised stance over and over, training his body to remember the movements.
When the moment came, he raised the tube, and sparks erupted into the air. "I put all my gratitude and feelings into it," he said afterward. "It was exciting. I focused on facing it head-on without running away. If children watching felt joy or admiration, and if someday we can hold this together, that would make me very happy. I hope the spirit continues to be passed on."
Source: FBS福岡放送ニュース
