Tokyo Fireworks

This scene shows fireworks over Tokyo at night during the winter of 2010. I shot it from the balcony of my apartment in Yotsuya where I was living at the time, and they appear to be coming from the direction of Yoyogi park, perhaps near the national stadium. It remains the only fireworks I have seen in Japan since arriving, and I’m still not sure what the particular occasion was for their appearance, though my roommate speculated that there was some kind of concert or event that precipitated it. I often go to see fireworks back in America, and was delighted when I heard the familiar sound of their explosions and rushed to film what was left. It’s also memorable to me because it took place right around the time I moved to my new apartment, and so reminds of my time in Yotsuya whenever I view it. Unfortunately I have never been around in Japan during most of the summer, when I am told is the best time to see fireworks in Tokyo and the surrounding areas, I hope to make this coming summer my first time to see them. I think that fireworks are something that are universally enjoyed by almost everyone, and it is interesting to me that they can come to symbolize many different kinds events with greatly varying meanings.