Submitted by Rachel Savage on the 2016 fall semester study abroad program in Akita, Japan…
I went to the firework festival in Omagari with some new friends I’ve made. Fireworks here are so much different than they are in America! In America, we usually have a 10-30 minute show of randomly fired fireworks, with a finale at the end where they fire off the remaining shells. In Japan, it’s so much more amazing. As one of the locals explained to us, companies were competing against each other here. The fireworks fired were extremely coordinated and timed with music that the company chose. And the fireworks!!! They were the most beautiful fireworks I’ve ever seen!!! The picture I’ve taken does not do them justice.
Along with the beauty of the fireworks, my friends and I were shown so much kindness on the trip that none of us knew what to say!! While we were taking the train to Omagari, we started talking to this old man on the train, who explained to us that the fireworks in Omagari were the best around. After telling us that we needed tickets, instead of telling us where to buy them, he gives us his spares! He also ended up giving us a mat to sit on as well, so in return we bought him and his family a box of cookies.
We put the mat down behind the podium and struggled to get a good view as they were warming up. This woman saw us and actually invited us to sit and have dinner with her and her family while the show was going on. It was the most heartwarming thing that I’ve ever experienced.
It’s only my first week here, but I’m already having the best time!