After the success of a series of firework displays across Japan on 1 June, a group of fireworks aficionados, called the Omagari Fireworks Club, is planning synchronised, nationwide firework displays this summer to show appreciation and support for fireworks makers and to lift people’s spirits amid the coronavirus pandemic

The non-profit group is from Daisen city, Akita prefecture. Daisen is the home of the Omagari fireworks festival, one of the largest fireworks festivals in Japan. According to Time Out Tokyo, the group plans to hold 10 minute long displays in July or August, at secret locations across the country to avoid crowds massing.

The group has enlisted the help from 81 firework companies, according to its crowdfunding website. The firework companies will either hold displays in their prefecture, or send them to Omagari for the group’s display, or do both, said the group’s secretary, Tomohiro Mogamiya.

“We have been cheered up by fireworks,” the group’s website says. “It’s our turn to cheer up fireworks manufacturers and the fireworks industry by shooting off fireworks.”

The organisation is made up of individuals and groups, including firework makers, and aims to deepen understanding of the Japanese tradition and art of fireworks, according to the group’s website.

Many firework makers have lost business opportunities this year as many fireworks displays and festivals are being cancelled to prevent large gatherings that could lead to further spread of the coronavirus. The Japanese government is still discouraging large gatherings.

“We wanted to create an opportunity [for firework makers] to display fireworks,” Mogamiya said.

“It’s probably the first time for people to experience summer without fireworks. We hope everyone will cheer up by watching the fireworks.”

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