for a while
the whole lake is filled
with fireworks
[shibaraku wa | mizuumi ippai no | hanabi kana]
July 28, 2008
Literature: Fireworks (Hanabi) and Issa
Summer is the season of fireworks. When I was in Tokyo yesterday, I saw many people clad in colorful yukata, for it was the day of the Sumida River Fireworks. Through August, there will be many firework displays all over Japan. They are usually held at lakes, rivers or at the seaside. This custom of mirroring a fiery display in a body of water already existed several centuries ago, as in this haiku by Issa:
