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Handheld fireworks

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Fireworks in Japan

In Japan, fireworks are an integral part of the summer festivities. There are official fireworks festivals held by local cities and municipalities as well as local summer festivals that often conclude with a small fireworks display.

In this blog for learners of Japanese, Rie Kinoi a Japanese teacher at JOI introduces some of the different types of handheld fireworks that are commonly found in Japan.

Read the blog to learn new Japanese vocabulary and also a little about Japanese culture. And listen to the YouTube video in which you can hear the Japanese read out fluently.

手持ち花火
Handheld fireworks

kinoi

By KINOI Rie

 棒の先端に巻いてある色とりどりの紙に火をつけると、勢いよく火花が飛び出す。紙に包まれた火薬点火した瞬間、ぱっと明るくなりほんの数十秒間人を照らす。これは夏の風物詩、手持ち花火だ。

fireworks-Japan

 シャワーのように流れるものや、ぱちぱちと音を立てるもの、色が変わるものなどいろいろな種類の手持ち花火がある。手持ちだけではなく、筒状のものを地面に置いて火をつける花火もある。まるで噴水のように筒から吹き出す。手持ち花火よりも勢いがあり、噴き出す光に誰もが注目する。火をつけてから火花が飛び出すまでの数秒のドキドキも楽しいといったらない

shower-fireworks

 そして誰もが聞いたことがある線香花火は必ずといっていいほど花火セットの中に入っている。これはとても細く、のような花火。線香花火に火をつけると、ぱちぱち音を立てたかと思うと、急に静かになり、3ミリほどの丸い溶岩のようなどろどろしたものが棒の先端にとどまっている。例えるなら、「水のしずく」。手を動かしてしまうと、この溶岩のしずくが落ちてしまうので、手が震えないように集中する。地面に落としてしまうと、苦笑いしながら次の線香花火に火をつける。

Sparkler

 花火の音とともに聞こえるのが、遊んでいる人の笑い声。そして線香花火の溶岩のしずくが落ちた瞬間感じる夏の終わり。少し寂しい気持ちになる。長かった夏の終わりを感じ、楽しかった夏休みの思い出を振り返る。それぞれの心の中にあるそれぞれの思い出を胸に日常が始まるのだ。

Sparkler-Japanese -girl

To listen to this blog, please watch our Youtube video. 

手持(ても)ち花火(はなび)

 棒(ぼう)の先端(せんたん)に巻(ま)いてある色(いろ)とりどりの紙(かみ)に火(ひ)をつけると、勢(いきお)いよく火花(ひばな)が飛(と)び出(だ)す。紙(かみ)に包(つつ)まれた火薬(かやく)点火(てんか)した瞬間(しゅんかん)、ぱっと明(あか)るくなりほんの数十秒間(すうじゅうびょうかん)人(ひ)を照(て)らす。これは夏(なつ)の風物詩(ふうぶつし)、手持(ても)ち花火(はなび)だ。

 シャワーのように流(なが)れるものや、ぱちぱちと音(おと)を立(た)てるもの、色(いろ)が変(か)わるものなどいろいろな種類(しゅるい)の手持(ても)ち花火(はなび)がある。手持(ても)ちだけではなく、筒状(つつじょう)のものを地面(じめん)に置(お)いて火(ひ)をつける花火(はなび)もある。まるで噴水(ふんすい)のように筒(つつ)から吹(ふ)き出(だ)す。手持(ても)ち花火(はなび)よりも勢(いきお)いがあり、噴(ふ)き出(だ)す光(ひかり)に誰(だれ)もが注目(ちゅうもく)する。火(ひ)をつけてから火花(ひばな)が飛(と)び出(だ)すまでの数秒(すうびょう)のドキドキも楽(たの)しいといったらない

 そして誰(だれ)もが聞(き)いたことがある線香花火(せんこうはなび)は必(かなら)ずといっていいほど花火(はなび)セットの中(なか)に入(はい)っている。これはとても細(ほそ)く、紐(ひも)のような花火(はなび)。線香花火(せんこうはなび)に火(ひ)をつけると、ぱちぱち音(おと)を立(た)てたかと思(おも)うと、急(きゅう)に静(しず)かになり、3ミリほどの丸(まる)い溶岩(ようがん)のようなどろどろしたものが棒(ぼう)の先端(せんたん)にとどまっている。例(たと)えるなら、「水(みず)のしずく」。手(て)を動(うご)かしてしまうと、この溶岩(ようがん)のしずくが落(お)ちてしまうので、手(て)が震(ふる)えないように集中(しゅうちゅう)する。地面(じめん)に落(お)としてしまうと、苦笑(にがわら)いしながら次(つぎ)の線香花火(せんこうはなび)に火(ひ)をつける。

 花火(はなび)の音(おと)とともに聞(き)こえるのが、遊(あそ)んでいる人(ひと)の笑(わら)い声(ごえ)。そして線香花火(せんこうはんび)の溶岩(ようがん)のしずくが落(お)ちた瞬間(しゅんかん)感(かん)じる夏(なつ)の終(お)わり。少(すこ)し寂(さび)しい気持(きも)ちになる。長(なが)かった夏(なつ)の終(お)わりを感(かん)じ、楽(たの)しかった夏休(なつやす)みの思(おも)い出(で)を振(ふ)り返(かえ)る。それぞれの心(こころ)の中(なか)にあるそれぞれの思(おも)い出(で)を胸(むね)に日常(にちじょう)が始(はじ)まるのだ。

Handheld fireworks

If you light the colorful paper that is wrapped around the tip of the rod, sparks fly out vigorously. The moment that the gunpowder, that is wrapped inside the paper, ignites it instantly lights up and for only several tens of seconds does the person become enlightened. This is the handheld fireworks that reminds us of summer.

These handheld fireworks flow out like a shower, and make a snapping noise and there are many types including some of that change color. This is type is not only handheld but there are some cylindrical ones which you place on the ground and light. And the fireworks spout of the cylinder just like a fountain. These are more vigorous than the handheld ones, and the lights that spout out of the cylinder draws everyone's attention. It takes a few seconds after lighting it before the fireworks start so you can really enjoy the tension too.

And then there are these sparklers which everyone has heard of and are a necessary part of each fireworks set. This firework is very thin, rather like a string. When you light these sparklers, it crackles for an instant before suddenly going quiet and a 3 millimeter lava-like ball remains at the tip of the ball. If we are to liken it to something, then it would be a water drop. If you move your hand, then this lava falls, so you focus on not shaking your hand.And when it drops onto the ground, you light the next sparkler with a bitter smile.

One sound that can be heard together with the sound of fireworks is the sound of the laughing voices of the people playing with them. And then the moment that the lava from the sparklers drop quietly feels like summer is ending. It is a slightly sad feeling. The feeling of the end of the long summer season and thinking back over the memories of the fun summer holidays. And in each heart there are different memories held inside each chest as we turn back to our daily lives.

色(いろ)とりどり・・・of various colors

火花(ひばな)・・・spark

火薬(かやく)・・・gunpowder

点火(てんか)・・・ignition; lighting; firing

照(て)らす・・・lighten up

風物詩(ふうぶつし)・・・thing that reminds one of a particular season

ぱちぱちと・・・crackling

筒状(つつじょう)・・・cylindrical

噴水(ふんすい)・・・water fountain

といったらない・・・very

紐(ひも)・・・string; cord

かと思(おも)うと・・・immediately after

溶岩(ようがん)・・・lava

どろどろ・・・thick

とどまっている・・・to remain; to stay

しずく・・・drop of water; drip

苦笑(にがわら)い・・・bitter smile

とともに・・・together with

振(ふ)り返(かえ)る・・・to think back (on)

kinoi

Hajimemashite, my name is Rie Kinoi. Do you know Sumo ? I love Sumo. Currently, there are many foreign Sumo wrestlers and they call speak Japanese really well. I often think that I would love to teach people to speak Japanese as naturally as they do.
I also love to travel. And I am fascinated by air, scenery, lifestyle, culture and of course languages of places that I am not familiar with. Japan has a lot of wonderful places to visit too, I'd like to introduce these to you.
Well now, you all must have various reasons and goals to study Japanese. I would like to lend support to you and help you succeed in achieving those goals. In my lessons, I will teach not only in an interesting and fun way, but also guide you to absorb a number of different topics. Lets do well together !< /p>

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Comments

  • Ares Monteiro Wednesday, 13 September 2023

    In the sentence

    それぞれの心の中にあるそれぞれの思い出を胸に日常が始まるのだ。

    translated as

    And in each heart there are different memories held inside each chest as we turn back to our daily lives.

    Where is the verb for を胸に?

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