Enter the World of Traditional Wabi Fireworks in a Crafting and Launching Experience

Master Wabi-shi Pyrotechnician Gen Sasaki Demonstrates the Japanese Aesthetic with Explosive Power

In the foothills of Mount Fuji in Yamanashi Prefecture works pyrotechnician Gen Sasaki. Moved by the magic of cinema in his youth to pursue a career in fireworks, he was then captivated by the work of a longstanding Yamanashi Prefecture pyrotechnical house and sought out employment with them after seeing their work at a pyrotechnics competition. “I trained with them for six years,” he says, “But I found that I had an unshakeable desire to specialize in traditional wabi fireworks. That drove me to strike out on my own, coining the title of wabi-shi to describe the new role I was creating for myself.” (Wabi literally translates to “Japanese fire,” and the -shi suffix here means “practitioner” or “master.”)

Sasaki’s hope is to keep the flame of Japanese tradition burning through wabi

Modern fireworks, with their dazzling array of multicolored chemical hues, are focused on the art of overwhelming spectacle. In the Japanese firework world they are known as yobi – with the yo- suffix literally meaning “from across the sea” (in particular referring to things of European or North American origin), and -bi meaning “fire” (as in wabi). These were introduced to Japan during the mass westernization and modernization movement of the Meiji Period (1868-1912). Wabi fireworks, on the other hand, are characterized by a comparatively gentle reddish-brown color reflecting their natural mineral origins. They are said to have been used in Japan since ancient times for such purposes and memorializing and praying for the souls of the dead.

Ichikawa-daimon lies deep in the rich natural landscape of Yamanashi Prefecture

Yamanashi Prefecture is also the birthplace of the unique tradition known as “Koshu fireworks,” whose exact origins are unclear. One school of thought holds that they originated from the noroshi signal fires of powerful regional warlord Takeda Shingen during his battles in the Sengoku Period (c. 1467-1568). Another supposes that their origins actually lie in local folk firework traditions that developed in the late Edo Period (c. 1853-1868). The Ichikawa-daimon area where Sasaki is based is known to be a regional center of artisanal folk firework production to this day.

Shedding Light on Japan’s History of Fireworks

This experience is a rare opportunity to receive instruction in the history and techniques of fireworks from wabi-shi Sasaki, and craft your own skyrocket and sparkler fireworks – a rare experience in any country. Sasaki will take you by car from Ichikawa-daimon Station to his studio in the Mount Fuji foothills. During the ride, watch a short instructional video on the firework production process to better visualize the experience ahead.

The ingredients of wabi, or “Japanese fire” – from top center: saltpeter, charcoal, and sulfur

At the workshop, the experience begins with a talk on the history of fireworks, their production, and the materials from which they are made. In Sasaki’s compounding room, see where saltpeter (niter, or potassium nitrate) is treated with charcoal and sulfur. These three materials are all derived from natural sources, and combine to produce a black powder that is the essence of wabi. “This black powder was once used in the matchlock guns of the wartorn Sengoku period. When that strife gave way to the peacetime of the Edo period (beginning in 1603), it found more use in fireworks and changed from a symbol of war to one of peace.”

Mixing and shaping wabi firework ingredients is done using a specialized electric machine

The charcoal in wabi powder is what produces the characteristic flaring trails of orange sparks. Humble though it may be next to the brilliant multicolored chemical fire of modern fireworks, the unique behavior of these flaming embers can be controlled in fine detail simply by adjusting the blending ratio.

Approximately 10 kilograms of black powder can be machined per batch, in balls of up to 2 centimeters

The process moves next from the compounding room to the molding room, where the hoshi, or stars, are formed. These are small spheres formed by mixing black powder with water which will produce the lightshow, and they are critical in producing a high-quality burn. After being molded, they are sun-dried for approximately 1-2 months. In this experience, you will use finished stars to create your fireworks.

Turning Black Powder Stars into Finished Fireworks in Your Own Hands

Having gained a deeper understanding of fireworks, it’s time to put that into practice. Use stars, fuses, strips of paper, tamakawa (hemispherical skyrocket shells), and tape to produce a “No. 3” (9cm diameter) firework. “Usually, the gaps between the stars are filled in with black powder to help ignite them, but we’re going to stick stars exclusively here. This produces a bunched long hanging tendril effect.”

Packing the stars tightly to fill in all gaps

Following Sasaki’s detailed guidance, pass a fuse through the skin of your skyrocket shell, filling the paper-lined inside with stars. These need to be packed tightly without any gaps, which is achieved by closing the lid halfway first before finishing the process. When it is full, finish by sealing it with paper tape.

A well-packed skyrocket shell is all the more exciting when you’ve made it yourself

And now it’s time to craft your sparklers. These are made simply by filling wrapping paper with the proper amount of black powder before being rolled and twisted shut with the fingertips. Some may find the delicate finesse required of these movements tricky, but worry not – wabi-shi Sasaki will be by your side to make sure you manage it without too much trouble.

Sparklers are produced from rolling paper and black powder, wrapping the paper into a bag around the powder and sealing its ends

To the Riverbed, and Let Your Creations Fly

When you have crafted one skyrocket and five sparklers, move again by car to a nearby riverbed and prepare to set them off. Begin with the sparklers, which ignite quickly into a crackling shower of flying sparks exuding a winsome, delicate natural color.

The crackling glitter of the sparkler is charming in its delicate ephemerality

With that, it’s time to let your skyrocket fly. The whoosh of the shell ascending is followed by a loud pop and crackle as the radiant flower of fire blooms with a burst in the night sky. Though wabi produces only reddish-brown fire, this simplicity reveals a captivating depth of hues and tones within. Seeing the finished product of your own crafting work is an unparalleled once-in-a-lifetime experience that may just get you hooked. When all participants’ shells have been launched, enjoy a finale of professional wabi by Sasaki himself. Roughly thirty bursts of resplendent russet fire put you in touch with a timeless and distinctly Japanese tradition of beauty.

Few are those who experience the thrill of seeing their own handmade skyrockets come to life in the night sky

Experience the Timeless Beauty of Japan’s Unique Aesthetics by Crafting Wabi Fireworks

Today, the word “fireworks” tends to conjure up images of spectacularly colorful modern displays. By comparison, wabi fireworks might at first brush seem a little plain. But within them lies a window to the unique and minimalist traditional aesthetic sense that Japan’s culture has cultivated over the course of the ages. Sasaki wants people’s enjoyment to only begin with the superficial spectacle, carrying on more deeply into a richer appreciation of the historical background and deep cultural roots beneath it.

A wabi firework making and launching experience that’s as much beautiful spectacle as spiritual journey; feel the deep undercurrents of traditional aesthetics

Fireworks in the European traditions are primarily associated with festivals and celebratory events. In Japan, their use began as military before shifting in the Edo period to more spiritual – launching prayers into the sky. This is the origin of wabi (literally translating to “Japanese fire”). “I’d like this Wabunka experience to be a launching point for a richer awareness of the cultural traditions of wabi,” says Sasaki. This is the prayer he sends into the sky on his rockets. Let it be a signal flare that calls you to experience the profound and mysteriously metaphysical beauty that the people of Japan have so cherished over the ages.