Spectacular Summer Fireworks Festival Cloaks the Sky and Earth In Colorful Lights

For the first time in three years, a spectacular fireworks show took place in Japan—and it didn't disappoint. Due to the pandemic, the Kihoku Lantern Festival hadn't taken place since 2019. It returned in 2022, and photographer Luu Hasegawa was on hand to document this enchating festival.

Taking place in the port town of Nagashima in Kihoku, Mie Prefecture, the festival is a summer event that typically draws large crowds. Spectators come out in droves to watch the large cloth lanterns set afloat in the port and they remain until it gets dark to take in the incredible fireworks display.

This display, called the Saiun Kujaku (Rainbow Peacock), takes advantage of the town's geography by causing colorful reflections in the water. Hasegawa has attended the event for many years and has become skilled at documenting the dazzling visual display as it appears in the sky and in the water. Technical skill is necessary because the entire sky lights up in just a seven-second span.

Thanks to his images, we are transported into the Kihoku Lantern Festival and get to experience its magic. Hasegawa even posted a short video showing the different fireworks at the festival over the past four editions. If you're as mesmerized as we are, circle late July on your calendar and get ready to take a trip to Nagashima in 2023 to see what other tricks they have up their sleeves.