Lan, tell us about your cultural experiences! August 2023 Issue

Japanese summer is synonymous with fireworks festivals. In Vietnam, fireworks are usually set off only on New Year’s Eve in the lunar calendar but in Japan, fireworks festivals are held throughout the country in summer from July to August.
This year, to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the founding of Matsudo City and the 150th anniversary of the founding of Chiba prefecture, Matsudo fireworks festival expanded its scale to 25,000 shots, being one of the largest festivals in Japan. I purchased my ticket early because I don’t want to miss such a big festival (I later received one sponsor-seat ticket from my workplace but gave it to a friend).
On the day of the event, it was very sunny which I thought would be the perfect weather for fireworks display. However, in the morning, there was an announcement that there probably would be some changes due to strong winds. Oh well, not only rain but wind may also affect.
When I arrived at Matsudo Station around 4:30 p.m., the station was already crowded. There were many children, adults and couples wearing yukata (an unlined cotton summer kimono) heading to the event. This scence was truly a typical feature of summer in Japan.
The fireworks display started as scheduled. I laid down on the vinyl sheet and enjoyed the large flowers blooming in the night sky. It was the first time in my life that I was able to see such big and beautiful fireworks from very close distance.
The wind got stronger halfway through the display which made the event end earlier than planned. It was a bit disappointing for me but there will be another one next year so I can’t wait to see it from now.

日本の夏と言えば花火大会です。ベトナムで花火は大体旧暦の大晦日の夜にしか打ち上げられないものですが、日本では夏になると、7月から8月にかけて全国各地で花火大会が開催されます。
今年の松戸市花火大会は市制施行80周年と千葉県誕生150周年を記念し、規模を国内でも最大級の25,000発と拡大して開催されました。私は絶対に見逃したくないと思い、早くからチケットを購入しました（その後、職場から協賛席のチケットを1枚もらいましたが友達にあげました）。
当日は快晴で、花火に絶好の天候ではないかと思いましたが、朝から強風の影響で変更がある場合もあるというお知らせがありました。そうか、雨だけではなく、風も影響しますね。
午後4時半ごろに松戸駅に着いた時、駅は既に混んでいました。浴衣姿で花火大会に向かっている子供、大人やカップルも多かったです。これはまさに日本の夏の風物詩ですね。
花火大会は予定通り開始しました。私はシートに横になって夜空に咲いた大輪の花を楽しみました。こんなに近くから大きくて綺麗な花火を見られたのは人生で初めてです。
途中から風がどんどん強くなったため、大会は予定よりも早めに終了せざるを得ませんでした。少し残念でしたが、また来年も行われる予定なので、今から待ち遠しいです。