Japan's premier fireworks wow crowds at the Osaka Expo
With the theme 'Gunpowder should be used for peace, not war,' the pyrotechnicians embedded the powerful message in their fireworks, sending it out to the world.
The Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition announced that the number of expo visitors reached a record-high 177,000 (preliminary figure, excluding 18,000 staff and officials) that day.
The overwhelming drawing power of the Omagari fireworks left an impression both at home and abroad.
The Omagari fireworks festival, known as 'a fireworks display you must see at least once in your lifetime,' is considered the ultimate competition to determine Japan's top fireworks masters.
The competitions are usually held in Daisen, Akita Prefecture. The festival's 100th anniversary event will be held in 2028.
For the upcoming 97th event on Aug. 30 this year, the most expensive seats, 60,000 yen ($420) each, sold out online in just one minute. These seats are regarded as the most difficult fireworks tickets to obtain in Japan.
The fireworks displayed at the expo on June 28 were launched by the Omagari fireworks cooperative association, which is composed of four local companies: Komatsu Fireworks Co., Kita-Nihon Hanabi Co., Wabiya Inc. and Hibikiya Omagari Hanabi Inc.
Seventeen pyrotechnicians traveled more than 12 hours to the expo site in two trucks and two vans.
This is the first time all the leading pyrotechnicians from Omagari have gathered and launched their fireworks in the Kansai region, and a massive crowd filled the venue to see their work.
At 7:48 p.m. on June 28, following a signal flare, a breathtaking five-minute display of around 1,000 top-tier fireworks began.
Four top pyrotechnicians showed off their masterworks in succession.
Tadanobu Komatsu, 61, who won the prime minister's prize at last year's festival, stunned the audience with the highly technical 'Nobori Gin Ryu Goeshin Henka Giku' (Silver Rising Dragon Five-Core Transforming Chrysanthemum), a chrysanthemum-shaped firework that soars to the height of Tokyo Tower.
Yoshikazu Konno, 61, fascinated the audience with his signature 'Happosaki' fireworks, which create an eight-petal blossom effect. The labor ministry named him a contemporary master craftsman in 2024, only the 10th person in the fireworks field to receive this title.
Kazuyuki Kumegawa, 51, nicknamed the 'Wizard of Color,' also amazed spectators. A graduate of Osaka University of Arts, Kumegawa presented the 'Pastel Senrin Chrysanthemum,' a difficult piece requiring masterful color control.
Kentaro Saito, 45, captivated the audience with a multicolor-changing 'gradation' effect, which is also gaining attention overseas.
'It was a great opportunity for visitors from around the world to experience the artistry and impact of Omagari fireworks. We hope many of those visitors will come to see the fireworks in their original setting of Omagari next time,' said Komatsu, who is also the Omagari fireworks cooperative association's chairman.
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