Japanese Traditions Cool Summer Pleasantly with Colors

From time immemorial, Japanese people have devised inventive and ingenious ways of making life pleasant during the hot, humid summers. Today, that ancestral wisdom continues to create refreshing summer moments and soothing scenes.

 

Hanabi 花火

Spectacular fireworks (hanabi) brighten up evening skies, a seasonal tradition that brings flowery colors to the Japanese summer. Tokyo is known as the home of Japan’s oldest fireworks maker, with over 360 years of history, and hosts many prominent events. With pyrotechnics ranging from traditional fireworks to modern ones utilizing the latest know-how, the intricate designs of master artisans burst into magnificent rings of breathtaking beauty.
 
 

 

Furin 風鈴

Gentle jingling in the wind—refreshing tones that appear during the summer months. Wind chimes! The wind sails of small bells (furin) dangling from the eaves and window frames of houses respond to the slightest breeze by ringing out their peal. Transparent glass wind chimes cool even the eyes, adding another dimension to the refreshing effect felt in our ears.
 
 

 

Uchimizu 打ち水

The “heat of vaporization” effect, in which water absorbs heat energy from the atmosphere as it evaporates, has recently drawn attention as a way to lower air temperature. The custom of sprinkling water (uchimizu) on streets, which has been passed down by Japanese households from ancient times, is a form of inherited of wisdom that also takes advantage of that effect. The tradition has been enthusiastically embraced as a method to cope with modern urban heat, with attempts to bring coolness to entire cities being carried out nationwide.