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Summertime is fireworks time in Japan. Many communities put on big shows that can last an hour or more. The biggest show in the world, the PL show, takes place in South Osaka, just across the bay from Rokko Island. We can see that show, as well as 4-6 others from our 36th-floor balcony. Individuals can also put on their own shows, as we did here on the banks of the Doro River. |
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| Firecrackers are illegal in Japan, but just about anything else is permitted, including exploding rockets. But I had never seen anything like the fireworks Terai-san brought to Doro, which snapped and fizzed and made various kinds of noise and colored light effects, then popped open into all manner of delightful objects, including Chinese pagodas, a bird cage (with bird!), a flower pot (with flower!), a Japanese flag, and a variety of paper boxes. |  |
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I've always admired Picasso's 'light' drawing of a bull, and finally got a chance to try the technique myself at Doro. Doro was ideal because I wanted a pitch black background so that there wouldn't be any distracting elements in the background. With my 35mm camera mounted on a tripod and set for a long exposure, I waved a little flashlight around in one hand, then set off the flash in my other hand. Amazingly, it worked. Somewhat. Though I doubt that anyone would guess that I was trying to draw a picture of a flower. Ah, well, Picasso, I ain't. |
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