Fireworks

I’m sure many people went down to City area to watch the fireworks last night.  I thought there were fireworks on the New Years Day too in Perth, but apparently only on Australian Day.  

I didn’t go to watch fireworks but I could see and hear a bit of it from my sister’s house in Mt Lawley.  I’ve been to South Perth to see the fireworks once, I think it was 5 years ago :p  I remember there’re so many people (drunk) and many police officers…  

Watching the fireworks last night recalled a memory of summer in Japan.  I haven’t been able to watch fireworks in Japan for 7 years now.  I’m sure every prefecture has its own fireworks events every summer, and some of them are pretty big, but I always go to the one near my house.  

Shiga has few cities which do fireworks, and the one in Otsu city (capital city in Shiga) is apparently the biggest one among those cities.  I don’t go to Otsu, but go to Hikone city which is the closest to my house 🙂  

from http://www.biwako-visitors.jp/hanabi/

Because there is Biwa Lake in Shiga, the biggest lake in Japan, they ignite the fireworks on the boat floating on the lake.  Even though it’s just Hikone city’s fireworks, it’s really beautiful and usually it keeps going for 2~3 hours.  In Perth the fireworks is just for half an hour?  

There are many stalls selling food at the fireworks area.  Takoyaki, Kakigori (shaved ice with syrup), yaki-ika (grilled squid) etc etc.  People wear yukata (Japan’s summer wear, casual kimono) and watch the fireworks while enjoying those food 🙂

Aaaaaaaa writing this really makes me want to watch the fireworks in Hikone!  I wish I could go back to Japan during summer around August, but I don’t think I can this year 🙁  Hopefully next year…