“Karakuri Fireworks” of the Ryukyu Kingdom

　Okinawa, the islands in southern Japan, was once known as the Ryukyu Kingdom. And there were “karakuri fireworks” unlike any other in the world. The bearers of these fireworks were the samurai of Shurijo Castle, and the production of fireworks was a big project with their family’s honor at stake. However, the tradition of the fireworks disappeared along with the collapse of the Ryukyu Kingdom in 1879.

　At the National Theatre Okinawa, karakuri fireworks were recreated based on the Hibanahou Nikki (Diary of Firework bearers), which is a record of the fireworks performed at the Ryukyu Kingdom’s Shurijo Castle in 1866. The brilliance of the Ryukyu Kingdom’s culture, which was considered an illusion, has been revived.