Japan's "toy" fireworks

"Toy" Fireworks, おもちゃ花火, are very popular in Japan. So, I am not surprised to find there is a day dedicated to them: Toy Firework Day おもちゃ花火の日 on August 7th annually. The observance was established by the Japan Pyrotechnics Association. They chose August 7th because 8/7 can be read as "ha (8) na (7)", the first part of hanabi, the Japanese for fireworks.

The purpose of the day is to encourage people to enjoy small, handheld “toy fireworks,” such as sparklers, susuki fireworks, and spinning “nezumi” fireworks, while also promoting safe and considerate usage. Toy fireworks have been popular in Japan since 1659 when Yahei, founder of the famed Kagiya, started to sell simple straw‑tube fireworks in Edo. Until then, fireworks were limited to the Samurai and nobility. 

The prevalence of toy fireworks was one of the things that surprised me when I first came to Japan. In my home country, they are not that common. We don't even have terminology for them; referring to all types of toy and handheld fireworks simply as sparklers or bangers. Meanwhile in Japan there are many different words and varieties, from spinning and flying types to smoke‑producing and crackling fireworks.