Sumidagawa Fireworks
Every July the Sumida River Fireworks Festival (Sumidagawa Hanabi Taikai) lights up the Tokyo sky with a symphony of colour, sound and shapes to the cheers of approximately 900,000 people lining the banks of the Sumida-gawa River near Asakusa.
The Sumidagawa Hanabi Taikai began in the early Edo era (1732) after restaurant owners near Ryogoku Bridge were given permission to use fireworks as part of ceremonies honouring the water god on the Sumida River (the Suijin Festival that prayed for the souls of the dead and sought to ward off famine and disease). By 1810, this had developed into a full-blown event with rival fireworks guilds, Tamaya and Kagiya, dueling in the skies above Tokyo. Even today this competition continues. Listen for yukata and jinbei clad spectators shouting out these names in appreciation of different hana-bi (fireworks) displays throughout the festival!
- Scheduled for July 26th from 7:10-8:30, the best venues for viewing this spectacular event are:
Ume Matsuri Festival Feb 21- March 31 - 1. the area from downstream of Sakurabashi Bridge to upstream of Kototoibashi Bridge
2. the area from downstream of Komagatabashi Bridge to upstream of Umayabashi Bridge.
Come early and experience a fireworks display you'll never forget!
