A Booming Business: Craftsman Supplies Zama Fireworks
Story and photos by Tetsuo Nakahara


A craftsman makes a shell ball at the Saito Fireworks Company factory in Tsukui City, Kanagawa. Each ball contains a special recipe of gunpowder.


Fireworks displays are very popular events during the summer in Japan.


A pile of completed fireworks shells are packaged and prepared for a show.

Fireworks demonstrations are a staple of summer fun in Japan with hundreds of events featuring fantastic displays that light up the night during the months of July and August. The Japanese have turned the demonstrations into an art form that millions of people come out to watch every year.

Camp Zama hosts fireworks demonstrations at both the post Independence Day celebration and the Bon Odori Festival every year. These beautiful displays could not happen without the help of the craftsmen at Saito Firework Company.

Saito Firework Company is located in an isolated area near Tsukui City in Kanagawa Prefecture. The company’s warehouse is isolated and legally protected for safety by the Kanagawa Prefectural Government. For Hiroaki Saito, the owner of SFC, producing quality fireworks has been a lifelong passion.

“I became a fireworks craftsman because fireworks displays make people happy, and I love seeing them enjoy it,” Saito said.

There are many types of fireworks and one of the most common is the aerial shell ball. These aerial shells are loaded into tubes called “mortars.” Once lit, the aerial shell will fly into the air and when the shell reaches its highest point, it will explode shooting pyrotechnic stars in all directions.

The shell balls are made of a special recipe of gunpowder and other ingredients depending on the desired color of explosion. Each shell ball is about 5 inches in diameter and is meticulously constructed in the safe environment of the SFC warehouse. More than 1,000 of these shells will be used in the Camp Zama displays on Independence Day and the Bon Odori Festival.

Saito and his employees at SFC now use a special electronic system that ignites the displays. This system is much safer for the professionals who light the fireworks.

“Recently, we have used a computer system to also make the fireworks go with music in the background during the show,” Saito said. “It’s like a totally produced show and it really makes the display more entertaining. It combines the old fireworks traditions with new technology.”

“We really appreciate the opportunity to work with Camp Zama for their fireworks shows,” Saito said. “At Camp Zama, people have the opportunity to see the firework shows up close which really makes it dynamic. We’re planning something special for the last part of this year’s shows and we hope people will enjoy it.”
 
Seeing the dazzling panoramic of colors explode in the night sky fills people with excitement and helps entertain millions during the summertime here in Japan, said Saito.

“I love seeing people’s reactions during and after our fireworks shows, it really makes all the hard work worth it,” he said. “I want to keep producing fireworks for the rest of my life.”