Japan skies lit up with fireworks to brighten mood amid coronavirus

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TOKYO. KAZINFORM - Simultaneous fireworks displays colored the night skies in Tokyo and other parts of Japan on Monday, with fireworks makers hoping the sight would cheer up the nation as it struggles with the coronavirus pandemic, Kyodo reports.

With many of the fireworks festivals during summer canceled or postponed, pyrotechnicians nationwide joined to launch the «Cheer Up! Hanabi Project» for a short, surprise fireworks display.

To avoid drawing crowds, the organizers set a five-minute limit for the fireworks. They initially intended to keep the date, time and location under wraps but later went public with the date and time amid concerns some people might find the sudden pyrotechnics disconcerting.

In Tokyo, the fireworks display commenced without warning at 8 p.m., with bursts of light filling the rainy sky.

Despite the rain, more than two dozen people gathered on the banks of the Tama River located a short walk from Keio-Tamagawa Station.

«I had a hunch, so I came here,» said Yukiji Kushiro, who was among those eagerly watching the night sky under their umbrellas around 10 minutes before the display began.

«Even though they say it's a secret, there are only so many places they can launch fireworks. I live on the Keio Line so I decided to come have a look,» said Kushiro, who lives around Shinjuku.

A resident of the area also waiting on the banks said a notice had been passed around during a neighborhood meeting, but residents were told to keep quiet.

«With coronavirus and everything, they didn't want too many people gathering,» she said.

People dispersed quickly after the five-minute display. Usually, fireworks last one hour or more at many such festivals.

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