Feb 2, 2012

99景 両国花火 View 99 Ryogoku Fireworks


両国橋で打ち上げられる花火です。
両国橋の上は見物の人でいっぱい。
隅田川にも見物の船がいっぱい出ていますね。

This is the picture of the fireworks festival at the Ryogoku Bridge.
The bridge is crowded with many spectators.
Also, there are many people enjoying the fireworks from the boats on the Sumida River.


両国橋では「両国の川開き」といって毎年旧暦5月28日に花火が打ち上げられていました。




This fireworks festival, called Ryogoku Kawabiraki (opening of the river), was held every year on May 28 (lunar calender date).


その始まりは1733年。
その前年、1732年は大変な年でした。
大飢饉と疫病の流行で100万人以上の死者が出たそうです。
翌年、8代将軍吉宗はその慰霊のために、隅田川で水神祭を行いました。
その際、両国の料理屋が、花火を打ち上げることになったのだそうです。


花火の費用は8割が見物の船を出す船宿、残り2割は両国橋近辺の茶屋、料理屋が支払っていたようです。



It started in 1733.
The previous year, 1732, was a terrible year.  
A great famine and the epidemic that followed killed more than 1 million people. The 8th Shogun, Tokugawa Yoshimune decided to hold a ceremony at the Sumida River to ease those souls.  
The restaurant owners in this area asked the government for the permission to set off the fireworks on this occasion.  And that's how it started.


Kawabiraki was sponsored 80 % by the boat houses, and 20 % by the restaurants  in the area.




両国の川開きは途中数度の中断をはさみながら270年も続いてきました。隅田川沿いの案内板に1957年当時の川開きの写真がありましたよ。




Ryogoku Kawabiraki has a long history of 270 years though there are several interruptions.  I took this picture from the guide plate by the Sumida river.  This is Kawabiraki in 1957.




両国橋のガードレールにも花火の図柄をみつけました。


Guardrail on the Ryogoku Bridge has a fireworks motif.




川開きは1962年から交通上の問題で一時中止。その後1978年に場所を上流に移し再開されました。
今や毎年恒例の隅田川花火大会ですね。


But Kawabiraki was stopped in 1962 because of traffic problems.  Then, it was restarted in 1978, this time, moving the place a little upstream.
It is now called Sumida River Fireworks Festival.




今年も7月28日土曜日に予定されています。
2万発の花火が打ちあがります。見たいですね!



This year, it will take place on July 28, Saturday.
20,000 fireworks are going to be set off. Wow!!




公式ホームページ http://sumidagawa-hanabi.com/
(They have some English pages.)


ただし昨年の来場者数はおよそ95万人とすごい人出です。


But I must warn you.  It will be very crowded.
Last year, this event attracted more than 950 thousand people!


昔私が行ったときは、すごい人ごみで動きがとれず、ほとんどなにも見えずがっかりしました。以来こりて行ったことがありません。今度はもっと作戦をたててちゃんと見たいと思います。屋形船、ホテル、レストラン等、いろいろ選択肢はありますからね。


When I went there a long time ago, I just found myself in a big crowd and couldn't see a thing.  I was just so exhausted!   Ever since then, I have never tried to go to that festival. But next time, if I'm going there, I will plan carefully in advance.  There are several options, boats, hotels and restaurants.




さて、それではあたりは今どんな風に見えるでしょうか?


Now, how does the place look now?




花火を描き込みたくなる夜空ですね~。


日中だとこんな風にみえますよ。


I wish I could paint the fireworks in the dark sky.


This is how it looks in the daytime.



1月のお日様がキラキラして川面もキラキラでした。


The January sun was so shiny.
And so was the river.


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4 comments:

hasnulyakin said...

I Love Japanese Arts...And that is the reason why I always go back to Kyoto twice a year :)

http://hasnulyakin.blogspot.com/2011/04/little-house-of-kobuchizawa.html

Merry Witch said...

Thank you very much for your comment! I saw your blog and liked the pictures very much. You are such a photographer!

Unknown said...

Hi, I agree that definitely it will be great to catch up HANABI festival in Japan. Although I have never been Sumidagawa hanabi yet..., it looks great, thank you for giving that explanation. As well as that one, actually there're many fireworks in Tokyo and Yokohama, as you may know.

I heard that the one held in the Yamashita park, Yokohama city will be also exciting, it seems that's the newest fireworks recently in Kanagawa and Tokyo. I assume that it's a brand-new trend, then we'll have a meetup under such a nice great fireworks, if you have any interests on it, feel free to join us! http://www.triphugger.com/2015SummerFireworks0718_en.htm

Thanks!
Shiro

Merry Witch said...

Shiro-san,

Thank you for leaving a comment. Sounds like you are planning a great fun in Yokohama.

I love watching great fireworks. But the thought of big crowds discourages me. But thanks anyway!