Fireworks on the Sumida: Edo’s Biggest Summer Night

Crowds gather above the Sumida River as fireworks light the sky over Edo. In a late eighteenth-century print, Utagawa Toyokuni captures Ryōgoku’s great summer spectacle through spectators, boats and playful details. Where did this riverside tradition begin, and what made the occasion so important to townspeople? Step into an Edo summer night filled with excitement and shared anticipation.