2004 fireworks watching in Tokyo
One of the joyful summer events in Tokyo must be the fireworks.
Quite a lot congestion are expected to see from a boat, because it is carried out in the narrow Sumida River in the center of Tokyo, I would do it simply by watching from the veranda of my apartment house.
Continuing to the next week, August 7 was the fireworks convention of the Edogawa River even with 14,000 emission. One of my boat colleague who is living close to the launching site proposed me to watch from the 9th floor of his apartment house instead of going there by boat, and I found it to be the best idea. Together with some fresh sashimi fish I bought at Tsukiji fish market in the picnic basket, I arrived at Shinozaki station by subway. I noticed already even the train was so congested as about the same as a rush hour, that the platform and the isle was completely full of people and it took long time to get out of the station to arrive at the friend home at last. I think that I could shoot the photograph better than before, because I was on the earth in this time anyway. We continued the party again after watching the fireworks until 11 o'clock because I knew that all the return trains must be of a large congestion.
The 14th was the fireworks convention of the Bay of Tokyo. They launch the fireworks at the corner of the Tokyo bay and I saw it was the perfect chance to go near by a boat. Joining with another fleet at the moorage place at 5:30, passing through the waterway of a Kasai coastal park, we entered into the canal from Arakawa river following many houseboats and cruisers. It was a tough navigation because of the traffic jam in narrow waterway and boat was influenced by pulls wave or itŐs rebound, I needed skills to watch the wave and control the throttle promptly. We went through the canal at last and try to strike the anchor under the highway in front of launching site. But the police boat came and said "DonŐt park here and go away! ". Then we found the vacant place in the wood yard pond next to the canal. After anchoring and connecting with another boat, and as soon as taking out a table to prepare drinks and foods, it was the time of launching. The fireworks are famous with the size of big fireball and even the sound was so laud. Because it was the middle of a canal and there was no strong wave so that all the persons were able to fully enjoy the fireworks on the boat. Again we shifted the time as slowly to come back, in order not to be involved in jam.
Last year, my boat did not work due to repair. But this summer was so different that I could see fireworks even from own boat. |
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