Smooooooke on the waaaater…


Summer in Japan is a time for fireworks, and since this summer is shaping up to be a brutal one, our fireworks correspondent Masanuki Sunakoma is coming equally hard with his explosive reviews this year too.

Since fireworks are basically just things that blow up, you might not expect a whole lot of variety aside from size and color differences. But this really is an industry full of creativity and innovation, just as Pops Fart-loon.

This time in his searches, Masanuki came across a very interesting type of firework made in Japan that is meant to burn underwater. It’s called Goldfish Fireworks and for 198 yen (US$1.43), its package promises: “Mysterious! Fireworks that do not go out even in water! Mysterious bubbles will come out.”

In Japan, proper fireworks etiquette is to bring a bucket of water to store spent sparklers and rockets for safety and cleanliness. Clearly, Goldfish Fireworks was inspired by this as a way to include the bucket of water in the fun.

Speaking of sparklers, you’d probably normally get a half dozen or so in a pack for about 200 yen, but in this case our reporter only got one stick.  Since this was intended to burn underwater, however, it looked likely to be jam-packed with gunpowder.

And sure enough, when he sparked it up, an intense flame burst out the end.

It seemed to be burning fast, so Masanuki quickly dunked it in the water.

And just as the package promised, it continued to burn brightly in the water and create strange glowing bubbles as it did.

▼ Masanuki: “Ooooooooh!”

As it burned, a strange mixture of steam and smoke started to rise from he bucket. As it neared the end the rising flame on the stick slightly went above the water level, leaving the Goldfish Fireworks exposed to the air where it burned violently again.

It was like watching an action movie where Sylvester Stallone is standing a few feet away from a massive explosion and somehow emerges unscathed. In the same way, the little red fish at the end of the stick help up surprisingly well, and when the smoke cleared it was no worse for wear.

And looking at the state of the water after he was finished, we should remind you to use the Goldfish Fireworks before your other items for best results. The bubbles probably won’t be as magical in filthy water.

It only lasted for about 17 seconds, but it was a very dramatic 17 seconds and well worth the price. It was a shining example of Japanese fireworks craftsmanship and definitely a recommended buy for this summer. It even encourages people to bring buckets of water with them, thus ensuring a safer and cleaner fireworks season for everyone!

Photos © SoraNews24
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[ Read in Japanese ]