Skyrockets brightly light up the night sky. Looking back over the history of skyrockets around the world, they are believed to have originated in the signal fires used long ago, before the Christian era. Later, the use of gunpowder that was developed as a weapon in China spread across the globe and led to stunning fireworks for aesthetics and entertainment. While it is not certain, it is thought that fireworks were launched skywards in Japan in the Muromachi period (1336–1573), and it is from the Edo period (1603–1868) that they came to be used for entertainment. The advent of specialist fireworks makers resulted in a dramatic leap forward in Japan’s unique fireworks technology. From the Meiji period (1868–1912) onwards, the use of imported metals made possible the manufacture of richly colored fireworks, to which explosive sounds were ingeniously added later. This is how today’s beautiful skyrockets, which artistically weave together color, light, sound and smoke, came into creation.

One of the key differences between Japanese and European fireworks is in the shape and structure of the firework casing. In Japanese fireworks, the casing is spherical in shape, with much importance being given to the beauty of the colorful exploding light that looks like a large flower spreading out in all directions. Fireworks in Europe and the United States, meanwhile, are cylindrical in shape and their exploding light spreads out like the branches of a willow tree. The recent trend at various kinds of events appears to be on the entertainment value of the overall theatrical effect rather than on the beauty of a single firework burst. However, the fireworks industry has become global in scale and Japanese fireworks technology has spread worldwide, while the theatricality developed in Europe and the United States has come to play a part in fireworks displays in Japan as well. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the last couple of years has seen the cancellation of many events worldwide. Everyone is waiting longingly for the day when people around the world can once again share the pleasure of gazing up at colorful and spectacular skyrockets as they unfold their awesome effects.

Annual Fall Katakai Fireworks Festival at Asahara Shrine (Japan)

This fireworks festival dedicated to a Shinto shrine in Niigata Prefecture goes back 400 years. Some 15,000 fireworks are set off over the two days of the festival. The launching of one of the world’s largest fireworks—the yonshakudama or four-foot diameter shell—from a pipe cannon is indeed a sight to behold.

Sydney New Year Countdown Fireworks Display (Australia)

Fireworks from the Sydney Opera House and Harbor Bridge illuminate the night sky on New Year’s Eve. As the countdown to the new year starts, excitement builds to a grand climax.