Major kind of home-use fireworks would be thin stick types which people can hold in their hand and enjoy. I'm showing one type of them called Senko-hanabi in the photos above. Since stick types are easy to handle and safer than sky-rocket types, it is very common here.
Actually this Senko-hanabi is one of the traditional Japanese fireworks and has long history. It is said that it was invented during Samurai era in the 17th century. There were two major fireworks shops around Sumida-gawa River in Tokyo because the oldest fireworks festival was already started at that time and it was held on the riverside. Apparently one of the shops started to make the origin of Senko-hanabi by using stems of reed grass.
later it was improved and Japanese traditional paper started to be used. People wrapped up gum powder in a piece of paper and twisted it tightly until it became like a stick. Since it looks alike common stick type incense for Buddhism alter, people started to called it "incense fireworks(Senko-hanabi)".
It had been one of the popular home-use fireworks for long, but after late 1970's it started to be pushed away by imported fireworks because their price was much lower. Then, domestic Senko-hanabi got a critical moment. The last maker was closed down in 1998.
However, after the extinction a person who own a fireworks wholesale store made up his mind to revive it because he loved it so much. He thought domestic Senko-hanabi produced with traditional way was more beautiful. He searched up and down for the lost method and ingredients, then finally succeeded to reproduce it by himself. Because of his devotion, nowadays we can find domestic Senko-hanabi again in Tokyo.
By the way, you might wonder how domestic one and imported one are different. Was it really so clear? Probably, not only him would be able to find the difference because of Senko-hanabi's special feature. Senko-hanabi is a unique fireworks which the sparks go through several phases until the end, and people usually stare at the sparks to enjoy it since old days.
As I showed its chronological change in the photos with numbers above, the shape of the sparks obviously change. Then Japanese people named each phage as "Pine Needles" shown in the photo 2-3, "Peony Flower" shown in the photo 4, "Willow Tree" shown in the photo 5, and "Scattering Chrysanthemum" shown in the photo 6. Apparently these phase changes are much clearer with domestic one. I guess it would be difficult to manage it under math production.
I know it's not a showy fireworks, moreover to enjoy it completely you have to be careful and patient not to shake or move it since the sparks' center is fragile. Even so, it shows a story of pretty sparks which can grow our imagination, therefore I love Senko-hanabi. If you are curious about it, please try by your self!
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