Sumida River Fireworks Festival, Tokyo

Sumida River fireworks festival is considered to be the mother of all festivals that are held in Tokyo, Japan. The fireworks festivals also known as 'Hanabi' festivals in Japanese are really something to watch out every summer. Sumida River fireworks festival is held every year in the month of July.

Almost a million people gather to watch this amazing and extraordinary event. The beautiful summer night sky is lit up with around 20, 000 different types of fireworks. This is not only the biggest but a major event in the Japanese calendar, held on the last Sunday of July.

Sumida River fireworks festival is organized around the river Sumida. The fireworks were first brought into Japan from China. The first display of the fireworks was in 1733, when the river was first opened for the boats. Since then firework festival has become a part of the Japanese culture and tradition. Those who come to watch the fireworks at Sumida River, wear the Japanese traditional dress called 'fiesta' and the 'kimono'.

The wonderful show begins at around 7 pm at night. To have a nice view of the night sky, the visitors occupy seats on the boats sailing in the river since afternoon. The others crowd on the banks, roads and nearby subways to view this gala event. The Akakusa Sumida Park provides a wonderful view of the glittering night sky and is extremely crowded during the event.

The crackers from different renowned brands are used for the event. There are around 20, 000 types of rockets fired during the show, on two different locations by the riverside. This process carries on for more than an hour.

During the Sumida River fireworks festival, the tourists can enjoy hot sake, corns and different varieties of tasteful treats sold at the street stalls. There is a delightful and fun filled atmosphere all around.