I Have A Life.

Autumn Firework Festival was held on October 2 in Nikko this year. For that event, I stayed in Nikko for three days instead of two days. Firework show would start at 7 o'clock in the evening. I asked the master of minshuku to do me a favour to prepare a very light dinner by 6pm, then I could finish the meal on time and rush to riverside to watch firework.



I returned to inn early from Fall Kegonnotaki(華厳の滝). Therefore I was able to rest myself for free hours before the event. I have been abusing my legs for 12 days of journey. It should be time to take off for an afternoon.



Right at 6 o'clock, the master came to tell me my dinner was ready. I swept away the food and left the inn like a tornado. Although I asked the master to prepare only a dish and rice for my dinner, there were still 3 dishes. I was very full after dinner.



I didn't know where is the location of firework festival, but I knew it was somewhere at the riverside. I wandered around the area near Tobu Nikko. Finally, I saw a pair of dating teenages walking towards riverside. I walked behind them. After five minutes, I saw a few policemen patrolling the traffic at an exit of a bridge. Beside the bridge, there were many food stalls. There was the location where I was looking for.



There were many people. Although it was cool at night, some girls still wore their yukata to the event. I walked in front of stalls, but I was too full to buy food to eat there. A boy pleaded his parents to buy him an apple candy, but his father refused. I was curious to the apple candy, and I could put it in bag to eat it later, so I bought one. Apple candy is an apple as small as a table-tennis ball coated by red candy. It tastes quite interesting.



I suddenly reconized that it was the first time I took photos for firework. I was not familiar the technique and camera setting for taking firework photos. However, there are many firework shows in Hong Kong, the number 1 purpose of that night was having experience of taking part in a Japanese firework festival, I enjoyed time very much. People were very happy. I found that the best location to watch the firework was at the middle of the stall square as shown in the above photo.



The feeling of the environment was so lively, I could not help to buy some to eat in the square any more. I went to buy a banana chocolate cream pancake at one stall. All the eyes were on firework. I ordered my pancake then stood one side to let the people in the stall to watch fireworks. I also turned to the sky as soon as I could. A big firework explosed and many firing ribbons fell down. "That one is beautiful!" the lady making my pancake whispered with her partner. I was very excited. I used one hand to hold the pancake and eat it. At the same time, I used another hand to hold the camera to take photos. That was a very memorable night.



After the last fireball disappeared, hundreds of people left the site together. It was late at night, but it was very safe for me to walk on the street.