By Cathy Hirano

Summer in Japan means festivals and festivals mean fireworks and dancing in the street. The only fireworks I remember being allowed anywhere near when I was a kid in Canada were sparklers and the most exciting pyrotechnic event occurred when a family member I will not name threw a ship’s flare in the campfire just to see what would happen (not recommended). So I was blown away when I first saw the fireworks that accompany Japanese summer festivals – spectacular bursts of light and color that draw ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ from the crowd. And there are understandably crowds where there are fireworks.





Takamatsu’s fireworks display will be held on August 13 (Fri.) in the Sunport area and lasts a whole hour from 8PM to 9PM with 6,500 fireworks (according to the website). Last year about 10,000 people gathered at Sunport to watch. To avoid accidents, the rockets are launched out on the sea and they are visible from quite a distance. People in my area (near Yashima) often take picnic chairs or blankets to the riverbank to watch. Personally, however, I love being close enough to feel the thunder of the rockets in my stomach. There’s lots of room for viewing at Sunport, but it’s wisest to go by bicycle, train or bus. While there are 1500 parking spaces available, the one year I drove, the journey home took far too long because of the traffic jam. (If the weather is bad on August 13, the fireworks display will be postponed to August 15.)


(Fireworks in Sunport Takakamatsu)



Dancing in the street takes place on August 14 (Sat.). The summer festival coincides with the Obon period, a Buddhist festival in which families gather together to clean the family grave and welcome back the souls of family members and ancestors. Traditionally, the whole community would gather together at night to dance, welcoming the souls back home. In some places (for example Honjima, an island west of Takamatsu), people dance with the family’s memorial tablet strapped to their back. Now, however, Bon Odori is more a form of summer entertainment. Each region has its own music and dance steps. In Takamatsu, people dance to Ichigo Maita and the event itself is a big competition between groups of dancers. Thousands come out to dance down the main streets from 18:30 to 21:00. Of course, it’s fun just to watch. But if you want to get into the action, the Takamatsu International Association (TIA) welcomes non-Japanese participants in its dance troupe. For just JPY 300, they will lend you a yukata (summer kimono) and provide instruction. Practice will be held on the 3rd floor at I-PAL Kagawa on Aug. 10 from 18:30 to 20:00. Contact TIA staff at 087-837-6003 (English OK).