Iwakuni Port Fireworks Festival 7-20-2013

It's fireworks season here in Japan!!!! With festivals every weekend and sometimes during the week we are super busy trying to attend as many as we can in the Hiroshima area. And I say just in a specific area because they are all over the country! It would take years for us to be able to catch every single show.

Fireworks or Hanabi as they are called here in Japan date back to 1549! Starting in 1733, fireworks  were used to ward off evil spirits and comfort the souls of the dead. This is when annual festivals started and (obviously) continue to this day. They close off streets and line them with DELICIOUS food, drinks and games.