花火 (Hanabi-Fireworks)

I know I have heard that word somewhere…let me think…

Aha!  I remember.  There is a Japanese restaurant downtown Duluth that I ate at with my dad right before moving to Japan last summer.  The restaurant’s name is Hanabi.  There are pictures of fireworks on the menu.  

Japanese can be very frustrating and difficult to learn, but at the same time it can be very rewarding and fun.  Take the word “花火”(hanabi): the first kanji character means flower, the second means fire.  So literally, it translates to “ fire flower.”  There are lots of cool words like this in Japanese.

Hanabi are a big deal in Japan.  As I mentioned before, they accompany virtually every 祭り, or festival.  While we were studying Japanese in Okazaki over part of the summer, we happened to be there during the summer festival (夏祭り).   

Now, a little bit about fireworks displays in Japan.  The shows typically last much longer than the ones back in the states.  Usually over an hour.  Companies sponsor fireworks shows and announcements are made during the show informing the audience which company paid for which displays.  An interesting way of marketing. 

The fireworks show I saw in Okazaki was only the second one I had seen in Japan. I was told by many people it is the best show in Japan.  It is an extra long (2-2 ½ hours) fireworks display that is the pitch to the companies watching and looking to buy for next year’s festivals.

Beautiful!

 

七夕祭り (Tanabata Festival)

“Tanabata” means the seventh evening of the seventh month.  Every year on this night, Orihime is allowed to meet her lover.  Read the whole story here. 

   

There are many Tanabata festivals held throughout Japan during the summer.  We attended the one in our town, 小川町 (Ogawa Machi) at the end of July. 

 Vendors lined the streets, selling all the regular festival foods: やきとり(yakitori)、お好み焼き(okonomiyaki)、たこやき(octopus balls)、やきいか (barbequed squid)、きゅうり (cucumber)、steamed potatoes loaded with butter, Turkish kebabs, pineapple on sticks, chocolate covered bananas on sticks, shaved ice, やきそば (Japanese fried noodles), etc.

We wandered about, eating and drinking along the way.  Taking photos.  Listening to taiko performances.  Running into friends.  One of Karl’s coworkers ran into us and invited us to sit down with her at the booth her husband was working at.  They insisted on giving us shaved ice, yakitori, and l-o-t-s of beer. 

  

One of the older Japanese fellows who kept pouring beer for us insisted that Karl take one of their group t-shirts.  He was also insisted I should have a baby by now.  He was also very drunk.  

We watched people dancing.  We saw a handmade paper demonstration.  And, of course, watched the fireworks.  

Before the fireworks finished, we walked back to our apartment where we found our neighbors all sitting outside eating and drinking.  They invited us to join them, so we sat down and ate more fair food and drank more beer.  

  

Even though I miss my favorite festivals from back home, Japanese festivals are proving to be an excellent substitute for the time being.