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With countless spectators looking skyward Sunday, Yokosuka City launched no less than 5,000 fireworks to light up the night.
The 30-minute fireworks display was launched from Mikasa Park, Umikaze Park and Yokosuka Naval Base, which opened its gates from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. for its annual Yokosuka Friendship Day. Base visitors enjoyed live music, tours onboard ships, a car show, various games and food booths. And in the evening, they enjoyed the fireworks.
The fireworks were originally scheduled for early August to coincide with the annual Yokosuka Kaikoku Festival, but it was cancelled for a third straight year. But with the base holding its festival Oct. 16, the city decided to launch its fireworks on the same day.
Fireworks are a centuries-old tradition in Japan, where massive, colorful displays are an iconic symbol of summer and draw hordes of people, many wearing bright summer kimono. They began as a way of warding off bad luck and epidemics.
Although COVID-19 is still around, Sunday’s base festival and the Yokosuka City’s fireworks display were signs that times are changing.
