“Okansen” and Fireworks

　In Ryukyu Kingdom, when the king was replaced, an envoy from the Chinese emperor was invited to the Ryukyu Kingdom to acknowledge the new king in writing.
　The crown was bestowed during the Ming Dynasty, and the ship on which the Emperor's envoy came to Ryukyu was called “Okansen.” Eventually, the event to approve the new king was symbolically called “Okansen,” and the dance performed at the banquet was called “Okansen Odori (dance).
　The “Okansen Odori” included not only Ryukyuan dances and Kumiodori (Ryukyuan musical), but also traditional round dances, boat races, stick fighting, lion dances, etc. Fireworks were also an important part of the event.
　Since fireworks could not be set off in the garden of Shuri Castle, they were set off in an elaborate karakuri to the surprise and delight of the king and his Chinese guests.
　The bearers of the fireworks were the samurai of Shuri, and it was a major undertaking that put the honor of the family on the line.
　However, with the disappearance of the Ryukyu Kingdom, the tradition of fireworks also disappeared.