隅田川花火大会
The Sumida River runs through the east part of Tokyo, past one of the city's bulwarks of tradition, Asakusa, and the sumo center of Ryogoku. A little south of Asakusa, in Kuramaebashi, right next to Ryogoku, an annual summer fireworks festival is held, the Sumida-gawa (Sumida River) Fireworks Festival. The roots of the festival go back to 1733, when the Shogun of the day, Yoshimune (read more about Tokyo history), allowed fireworks to be let off in a festival commemorating the dead—and celebrating being alive—following a year of disasters in 1732.
Because of the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake, all the usual summer fireworks festivals in Tokyo were cancelled this year, except for this, the biggest of them, the Sumida River Fireworks Festival, held on the evening of Saturday, August 27, 2011. The festival thus retains its role as a commemorative and celebratory response to disaster.
Preparations for the festival began a week beforehand, with the banks of the river being fenced off, and barriers placed along Kuramaebashi Bridge to keep spectators well clear of the road.
On the day itself, police boats partitioned off one side of the river just south of Kuramaebashi to keep the spectator bank clear of sightseeing vessels, and, in the evening, just before the fireworks began, the section of overhead Metropolitan Highway 6 that runs alongside the Sumida River was closed to traffic, to prevent any accidents from motorists begin distracted by the fireworks. Edo-dori Street, running through nearby Asakusabashi was also closed to traffic, giving it a very festive atmosphere.
Thousands, probably tens of thousands, gathered alongside the river and on the bridge to watch the approximately two-hour display. Many were wearing traditional Japanese festival garb: yukata robe, geta clogs, and a folding fan for the summer heat and mugginess. There were scores of pleasure boats lined up on the river since mid-afternoon, also jammed with spectators.
The fireworks display started quite demurely and gradually grew in force, color, elaborateness (and loudness!) up to a mind-bending finale over the 90 minutes. Get the full grandeur of the spectacle on the YouTube video above.
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Showing posts with label Sumida River. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sumida River. Show all posts
Sumida River
隅田川, 東京
The Sumida River is one of the hundreds of rivers throughout Tokyo. The biggest are the Tama River and Arakawa River, but at the turn of the 20th century the Tokyo section of the Arakawa was diverted at Akabane, in Kita ward, to prevent flooding. The old course of the Arakawa, through seven of Tokyo’s wards, was renamed the Sumida.
The Sumida River starts in Kita ward and flows 27 kilometers (almost 17 miles) through Adachi, Arakawa, Sumida, Taito, Koto and Chuo wards into Tokyo Bay. It is spanned by 26 bridges. The oldest bridge dates from 1693, and was replaced by the Shin Ohashi Bridge in 1976. The next oldest was built in 1659, replaced by the Ryōgoku-bashi Bridge, very near the Kokugikan sumo stadium in Ryogoku. This bridge featured in many paintings by the 18th/19th century ukiyoe artist, Utagawa Hiroshige. The bridges of the modern day Sumida are picturesque in the variety of their designs and the different, often vivid, colors each is painted.
Sumida River, looking north at Maya-bashi Bridge (green) in foreground, Komagata-bashi Bridge (blue), Azuma-bashi Bridge (red), Tobu Isesaki train line bridge (gray truss bridge), Itotoi-bashi Bridge (blue); Asahi Beer headquarters at right (gold).
There are several different river cruises on the Sumida available as a tourist attraction, between Asakusa and Hinode or Odaiba. They offer the visitor a fascinating cross-section of east-end Tokyo as revealed by life on the banks of the Sumida. The river is also plied constantly by barges and ships carrying oil and other products and commodities. Seabirds hover over and feed from it well inland from Tokyo Bay.
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The Sumida River is one of the hundreds of rivers throughout Tokyo. The biggest are the Tama River and Arakawa River, but at the turn of the 20th century the Tokyo section of the Arakawa was diverted at Akabane, in Kita ward, to prevent flooding. The old course of the Arakawa, through seven of Tokyo’s wards, was renamed the Sumida.
The Sumida River starts in Kita ward and flows 27 kilometers (almost 17 miles) through Adachi, Arakawa, Sumida, Taito, Koto and Chuo wards into Tokyo Bay. It is spanned by 26 bridges. The oldest bridge dates from 1693, and was replaced by the Shin Ohashi Bridge in 1976. The next oldest was built in 1659, replaced by the Ryōgoku-bashi Bridge, very near the Kokugikan sumo stadium in Ryogoku. This bridge featured in many paintings by the 18th/19th century ukiyoe artist, Utagawa Hiroshige. The bridges of the modern day Sumida are picturesque in the variety of their designs and the different, often vivid, colors each is painted.
Sumida River, looking north at Maya-bashi Bridge (green) in foreground, Komagata-bashi Bridge (blue), Azuma-bashi Bridge (red), Tobu Isesaki train line bridge (gray truss bridge), Itotoi-bashi Bridge (blue); Asahi Beer headquarters at right (gold).
There are several different river cruises on the Sumida available as a tourist attraction, between Asakusa and Hinode or Odaiba. They offer the visitor a fascinating cross-section of east-end Tokyo as revealed by life on the banks of the Sumida. The river is also plied constantly by barges and ships carrying oil and other products and commodities. Seabirds hover over and feed from it well inland from Tokyo Bay.
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Sumida River, Tokyo
隅田川, 東京
The Sumida River is one of the hundreds of rivers throughout Tokyo. The biggest are the Tama River and Arakawa River, but at the turn of the 20th century the Tokyo section of the Arakawa was diverted at Akabane, in Kita ward, to prevent flooding. The old course of the Arakawa, through seven of Tokyo’s wards, was renamed the Sumida.
The Sumida River starts in Kita ward and flows 27 kilometers (almost 17 miles) through Adachi, Arakawa, Sumida, Taito, Koto and Chuo wards into Tokyo Bay. It is spanned by 26 bridges. The oldest bridge dates from 1693, and was replaced by the Shin Ohashi Bridge in 1976. The next oldest was built in 1659, replaced by the Ryōgoku-bashi Bridge, very near the Kokugikan sumo stadium in Ryogoku. This bridge featured in many paintings by the 18th/19th century ukiyoe artist, Utagawa Hiroshige. The bridges of the modern day Sumida are picturesque in the variety of their designs and the different, often vivid, colors each is painted.
Sumida River, looking north at Maya-bashi Bridge (green) in foreground, Komagata-bashi Bridge (blue), Azuma-bashi Bridge (red), Tobu Isesaki train line bridge (gray truss bridge), Itotoi-bashi Bridge (blue); Asahi Beer headquarters at right (gold).
There are several different river cruises on the Sumida available as a tourist attraction, between Asakusa and Hinode or Odaiba. They offer the visitor a fascinating cross-section of east-end Tokyo as revealed by life on the banks of the Sumida. The river is also plied constantly by barges and ships carrying oil and other products and commodities. Seabirds hover over and feed from it well inland from Tokyo Bay.
© JapanVisitor.com
Like this blog? Sign up for the JapanVisitor newsletter
Japanese Friends
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Sumida
river
bridge
The Sumida River is one of the hundreds of rivers throughout Tokyo. The biggest are the Tama River and Arakawa River, but at the turn of the 20th century the Tokyo section of the Arakawa was diverted at Akabane, in Kita ward, to prevent flooding. The old course of the Arakawa, through seven of Tokyo’s wards, was renamed the Sumida.
The Sumida River starts in Kita ward and flows 27 kilometers (almost 17 miles) through Adachi, Arakawa, Sumida, Taito, Koto and Chuo wards into Tokyo Bay. It is spanned by 26 bridges. The oldest bridge dates from 1693, and was replaced by the Shin Ohashi Bridge in 1976. The next oldest was built in 1659, replaced by the Ryōgoku-bashi Bridge, very near the Kokugikan sumo stadium in Ryogoku. This bridge featured in many paintings by the 18th/19th century ukiyoe artist, Utagawa Hiroshige. The bridges of the modern day Sumida are picturesque in the variety of their designs and the different, often vivid, colors each is painted.
Sumida River, looking north at Maya-bashi Bridge (green) in foreground, Komagata-bashi Bridge (blue), Azuma-bashi Bridge (red), Tobu Isesaki train line bridge (gray truss bridge), Itotoi-bashi Bridge (blue); Asahi Beer headquarters at right (gold).
There are several different river cruises on the Sumida available as a tourist attraction, between Asakusa and Hinode or Odaiba. They offer the visitor a fascinating cross-section of east-end Tokyo as revealed by life on the banks of the Sumida. The river is also plied constantly by barges and ships carrying oil and other products and commodities. Seabirds hover over and feed from it well inland from Tokyo Bay.
© JapanVisitor.com
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Japanese Friends
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Sumida
river
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