In central Japan, near Mikawa Bay, the Toyohashi Gion Festival—during which local men set off large handheld fireworks as part of a Shinto ritual—has taken place annually for more than 350 years. According to the AFP photographer Yasuyoshi Chiba, “Every year, each male member of the shrine makes his own set of tezutsu hanabi from bamboo covered by straw ropes with a loaded gun and metal powder.” The festival brings together participants from several nearby towns, and this year Yasuyoshi Chiba visited Toyokawa and Toyohashi to photograph some of the spectacular scenes.
Japan’s Fiery Toyohashi Gion Festival
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A man holds his handmade tezutsu hanabi (handheld fireworks), dedicated to the Toyokawa Susanoo Shrine, as a part of a Shinto ritual in Toyokawa, Japan, on July 21, 2018. #
Yasuyoshi Chiba / AFP / Getty -
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A Shinto priest purifies tezutsu hanabi at the Yoshida Shrine as part of a Shinto ritual on the eve of the Toyohashi Gion Festival in Toyohashi on July 20, 2018 #
Yasuyoshi Chiba / AFP / Getty -
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A man stands under a shower of sparks, holdng his handmade tezutsu hanabi dedicated to the Yoshida Shrine as part of a Shinto ritual in Toyohashi on July 20, 2018 #
Yasuyoshi Chiba / AFP / Getty
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