Hanabi

The summer is over which also means that Hanabi is over. 'Hanabi' is Japanese and directly translated it means Fire flowers, and what else could it be than fireworks. In Japan they have a very different use of fireworks than we have, at least, in Denmark. In Denmark (and probably the rest of Europe as well) we only have fireworks once a year at New Year's Evening.
However, in Japan they have it practically every day during the summer. They have the so called Hanabi Taikais (Fireworks competition), where companies and firms of fireworks compete against each other in performing the most impressive fireworks show. Usually it takes place on the sea, where a lot of boats sail out some 200-300 metres from the coast line and then perform their show. Since it's a competition between big companies it almost always turns out to be really impressive.

The Japenese like to waer special Japanese clothes on the evenings. The women all wear something called Yukata. If you know what a Kimono is, it kinda looks like it just a lot more simple. Here's a picture of Yukata:


The men either waer Yukata, like the women, or Jinben which looks a bit more "normal" with a shirt with short sleeves and something that looks like shorts

Both women and men wear a special foot wear called Geta:


The fireworks evenings are of course an obvious opportunity for couples to go out.

In addition to these almost daily events during the summer, you can also buy fireworks on your own in any convenient store. These are really popular among young people. It's not anything big, actually it's more just like smalle sticks you light and then they glitter for some 5 seconds. However, young people and children find it really amusing (including me!).
I will upload some pictures I took of Hanabi during the summer.

(Im sorry, the picture uploader doesnt work right now. I will try again soon)


Sommeren er slut, hvilket ogsaa betyder Hanabi er slut. "Hanabi" er japansk og betyder direkte oversat Ildblomster, og hvad andet kan det betyde end fyrvaerkeri.
I Japan har de en meget anderledes tradition med hensyn til fyervaerkeri, end vi har i hvert fald i Danmark. I Danmark (og nok ogsaa resten af Europa) har vi kun fyrvaerkeri een gang om aaret: nemlig til Nytaar. Men i Japan har de naermest fyrvaeri hver eneste dag i loebet af sommeren. De har de saakaldte "Hanaba Taikais" (花火大会), hvor firmaer og producenter af fyrvaerkeri konkurrerer mod hinanden i ud udfoere det flotteste og mest imponerende fyrvaerkerishow. For det meste finder sted paa havet, hvor en masse baade sejler 200-300 meter ud fra kysten og ellers udfoerer deres show. Siden det er en konkurrence, er det for det meste MEGET imponerende.

Japanerne tager gerne noget specielt toej paa paa de her aftner. Kvinderne kommer alle sammen i noget, de kalder "Yukat". Hvis I kender Kimono, saa er det noget i den stil, men meget mere simpelt. Here er et billede af Yukata: (se ovenover)

Mandfolkene kommer enten i yukata, ligesom kvindernde, eller Jinben hvilket ser lidt mere "normalt" ud, med korte aermer og noget der ligner shorts

Baade kvinder og maend tager nogle specielle sandaler paa ved navn Geta: (se ovenover)
Hanabi-aftenerne er selvfoelgelig en oplagt aften for en date.


Udover de naermest daglige fyvaerkerishows, kan enhver der har lyst ogsaa selv koebe fyrvaerkeri i en hvilkensomhelst doegnkiosk. Det er enormt populaert for unge. Det er ikke noget specielt imponerende, naermere bare en pind man saetter ild til, som saa lyser ca. 5 sekunder.
Men unge og boern synes det enormt underholdende (ogsaa mig!).
Jeg vil laegge nogle billeder op, jeg tog af Hanabi i loebet af sommeren.