• 2024.8.15

4000 fireworks to brighten up the summer! A "Peace Gathering" that you'll want to participate in with your family, friends, and loved ones

When you think of Ota City and August 8th, many people will think of the Rokugo Dote Fireworks Festival. It is such a popular event that some say it is one of the top three fireworks in Tokyo.
I'm from Kawasaki City, and I've been watching the fireworks from the bank near my house since I was a child. The spectacular fireworks, which can be heard from across the river, are a great memory of summer vacation. I heard that this year the festival has changed its name to "Peace Gathering" and has become a two-part event, day and night, so I decided to participate for the whole day.

What is a "Peace Gathering"?

The origins of this ceremony date back nearly 40 years. On August 1984, 59, Ota City made the "Ota City Peace Declaration" in hopes of lasting world peace and eternal prosperity for humanity. Since then, various events praying for peace have been held every year in Ota City.
The fireworks display I mentioned at the beginning was part of this, and was a fireworks display to pray for peace, called the "Fireworks Festival," a commemorative event for the Ota Ward Peace City Declaration. Starting this year, the name has been changed to "Peace Gathering," and the two events to be held are "Part 1: Peace Memorial Ceremony, etc." and "Part 2: Peace Memorial Fireworks."
Since it is held on the anniversary of the end of the war, it is originally an important opportunity to think about peace. I regret that I was only paying attention to the fireworks. Since I have the opportunity, I will experience some of them!

An opportunity to think about peace with your family "Part 1: Peace Memorial Ceremony, etc."

The first part will be held at Ota Ward Civic Hall "Aprico", about a 5-minute walk from JR Kamata Station.
I was a bit nervous because I thought it would be a solemn event, but the atmosphere at the venue was more peaceful than I expected. There was also a panel exhibition showing what Ota Ward was like at the time, and workshops for drawing wind chimes and folding cranes were also held.

The first thing that surprised me when I arrived was that there were so many people participating, from families with small children to elderly people.

Many people looked intently at the panel exhibition that showed the history of Ota Ward from the end of the war to reconstruction.

The panel exhibition also shows the old Kamata Station, with a completely different night view than it is today.

Workshops are held at the same venue, and are so popular that numbered tickets are distributed at the time. Parents and children can be seen painting wind chimes and folding paper cranes.

The children are serious, and the parents are busy following up with permanent markers. Even in such an ordinary scene, I feel a sense of peace.

A child showed us the wind chimes he finished. So cute!

After experiencing the panel exhibition and workshops, we finally headed to the ceremony venue...
At the top of the escalator leading to the hall, there is a "Peace Bulletin Board" decorated with star-shaped strips of paper on which people write their own wishes for peace.

A cool-looking gate with lots of wind chimes welcoming visitors. It was so beautiful that I had to take some photos while passing through it.

At 13:XNUMX p.m., the chairs in the hall gradually fill up and the ceremony begins.
Mayor Suzuki and other guests conveyed their thoughts on holding the Peace Gathering, and there was also a comment from Shoko Kanazawa, a calligrapher who lives in the ward and wrote the title.

This title, written by a brush, is beautiful. It is a work that conveys both a gentle sentiment and a strong determination for peace.

Then, the "Peace City Declaration" was read out. The full text is below. It is a message that can be understood by both children and adults.

—————————————————————
"What is peace?
What a happy thing
What is happiness?
Being able to live a free and enjoyable life
So let's join forces with people all over the world
We must protect our precious peace
May there be smiles everywhere on earth...
With this common wish of humanity in mind, Ota Ward
Defend the Peace Constitution and live a nuclear-weapon-free
We declare that we are a city of peace.

March 59, 8
Ota
—————————————————————

Next, the Higashichofu Third Elementary School Choir and a student delegation from our sister city, Salem, performed a beautiful chorus using sign language. In a mellow atmosphere, Ota Ward's official PR mascot, Hanepyon, danced enthusiastically next to them.

This is the end of the first part. I participated for about 2.5 hours in total, but it went by in a flash (by the way, you can join or leave at any time, so you can participate according to your schedule).
I think I learned a lot through the exhibitions and the ceremony. It was a wonderful experience that not only taught me about the horrific experiences of war, but also made me feel grateful for the peace we have today. I would like to participate next year with my children.

An impressive 4000 fireworks! "Part XNUMX: Peace Memorial Fireworks"

After a short break, we head to Rokugodote, where the second part of the fireworks will take place.
When I think of fireworks, I think of reserving a spot! And reserving a spot means crowds! So I prepared myself and headed there about two hours before the start, but...

Huh, what?!
The train stopped at Rokugo-dote Station, and when I walked down the stairs from the platform, I was greeted by a crowd I had never seen before. It seemed that the special ticket gates had also been opened. Of course, there were multiple police officers directing the traffic, so there wasn't any major confusion, but I wondered if I would be able to get to the venue at this rate...
By the way, this will be the first fireworks display in six years. There was a period of self-restraint due to the coronavirus, so I'm sure everyone is really looking forward to it.
As I walked to the venue, trying to follow the flow of people, kind staff from a nearby shop showed me the way, saying, "You can also get to the embankment from this direction."

Thanks to this, we arrived more smoothly than expected. The first thing you see on the bank are the many food stalls. There are rows of delicious-looking shops selling everything from grilled squid to shaved ice to kebab shops. It's hard to decide!

Apparently the Ota Ward Shopping Association is cooperating with this event, so what's great is that even though it's street food, many of the dishes are reasonably priced.

I bought some Ramune and secured a spot.
I was a bit worried when I saw how crowded the station was, but the bank was spacious and I was able to spread out a sheet without any problems.
To be honest, I had a strong image of fireworks displays being crowded and standing, so this is nice. Even if you come to the actual event, you can enjoy the view at your own pace, so I recommend it!

I spent the time looking up at the evening sky until the start of the event. This time is also nice...

It gradually gets dark and the stage event begins.
A live performance of Japanese drums began on the special stage. It's rare to have the chance to hear a full-scale ensemble of drums. It was very impressive. The excitement of the spectators reached a climax as the fireworks were about to begin!

The mayor took the stage, and everyone in the hall began counting down.
5.. 4.. 3.. 2.. 1

start!!

The opening fireworks will be called "Light of Hope - Symphony of War and Peace."
Particles of light run in all directions, and a special firework display commemorating the Ota Ward Peace City Declaration appears, eliciting a loud cheer of "Waaaaah!".

Starmines (sequential fireworks) are set off in time with magnificent music. The way the large and small fireworks overlap and rise diagonally is very beautiful, looking like flowers or wings.

Next up is "History Fireworks – Ota Ward and Katsu Kaishu."
The colors change and flicker along with the stories of Katsu Kaishu. The story of how he succeeded in the bloodless surrender of Edo, based on his belief that "we should unite beyond allies and enemies to protect the peace of the people," is quite moving. I felt that the colors of the fireworks, which change from green to red, expressed his feelings and passion for peace.

And the final song is "Pledge for the Future - A world without war, with our own hands."
In particular, this Starmine is said to be arranged in a circle, which is rare even in Japan. The sight of the fireworks stretching into the sky in a circle and spreading white light across the venue is both impressive and fantastical.

From there, star mines shoot up one after another. I wonder how many fireworks are used just for the finale? Everyone watches in silence, breathless.

When the final fireworks were set off and the announcement was made that the event was over, there was a moment of silence, followed by applause and cheers from all over the venue.
As I watched this, the feeling that came to my mind was a sense of gratitude for being able to live a "peaceful everyday life." It's really wonderful to be able to share such an emotional experience with not only loved ones, but also strangers.
Since I had participated from the first part of the Peace Memorial Ceremony, it was an experience that allowed me to feel once again the preciousness of "peace." Please invite your loved ones to participate in the "Peace Gathering."

Profile: Saegusa Ao -aoi-
A writer and copywriter living in Kawasaki City.
Born in a town along the Tama River, which can be reached by foot in Ota Ward, he worked at Sega's headquarters in Otorii. After working at an advertising production company, he went independent. He continues to cover a wide range of topics, including SDGs, tourism, beauty, and health, as well as produce advertisements.
On Twitter, X shares his thoughts on creativity and his daily discoveries under the theme of "writing and living." His favorite spots are "waterside" and "places where children can play." In Ota Ward, his favorite spots are Heiwa no Mori Park and Haneda Airport.

Supervision: Satomi Matsumoto/Jun Miyoshi