DRAWING UP OF FIREWORKS VIEWING AREA MAP 
Tosio KOIZUMI 
Dpt.of Civil Eng., Chiba Institute of Technology 
2-17-1,Tsudanuma, Narashino-shi, Chiba 275,Japan 
Kunihiko ONO 
Chuo Mapping Co,Ltd,Japan 
Hideaki KAWASAKI 
Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Japan 
Commission V, Working Group 2 
KEY WORDS : Cartography, CAD, Information, Photography, Close-Range, Thematic Mapping, Fireworks 
Abstract : 
The objective of this study is to draw up a fireworks viewing area map. This map shows area where fireworks can be 
seen well. The technical term “fireworks viewing area map” is first used in this paper. On drawing up the maps, 
aerial photographs are taken from a height over the spot for fireworks by a kite ballon camera system. The area 
from where fireworks can be seen well is the same area taken by aerial photography. The paper draws up the 
fireworks viewing area map of Narasino city. Accuracy of the map was checked by some students during the 
exhibition of fireworks. The fireworks viewing area map measures 40cm by 30cm and has multicolor printing. 
1. Introduction 
Fireworks were introduced into Japan with fire 
techniques in general by Netherlander or Portuguese in 
the Tensho era (from 1573 to 1592). Fireworks of the 
Sumidagawa River in Tokyo, so-called fireworks of 
Ryogoku have been continued for about 260 years since 
the Edo era until today excluding the time of 
emergency, as a downtown summer event. The start of 
this event was in Kyoho 17th (1732) under the 
goverment of the 8th Shogun of Tokugawa Shogunate, 
Yoshimune Tokugawa. Because in the previous year of 
the start, there occurred a great famine of Kyoho all 
over Japan, plagues were prevalent and there were 
many fires around the same time, fireworks were let off 
around the Ryogoku bridge at the eve of the opening of 
the Sumidagawa River as an event to sweep evil spirits 
away by light and sounda. Since then, fireworks of 
Ryogoku have become a feature of Edo as an evening 
festival of the opening of the river. The river opening 
means to open the Sumidagawa River, which is used for 
traffic and transportation, for citizens to enjoy the 
evening cool during summer. From the edo era, 
fireworks of Ryogoku have increased their 
magnificence year after year, and splendid fireworks 
worked out elaborately by producers were praised by 
viewers with shouts of “Kagiya” and “Tamaya” (names 
of producers), just as a remarkable attraction of Edo. 
Set fireworks were devised in various ways, and in the 
Meiji era (from 1868) blue, yellow and other colors were 
applied anew to fireworks to have made them colorful 
which had been limited till then to red and white ones. 
Fireworks are originally a useless thing, into which one 
ivests an immense sum of money to see momentary 
beauty, but doing-nothing and uselessness of them lead 
to human pleasure to live. And the spread of the dark 
sky after the end of fireworks may give sensible people 
a feeling of a plenty of sadness after the climax of 
amusement. Other than around the Sumidagawa River, 
fireworks are set off also in Senju, Shibamata and 
around the Tamagawa River in Tokyo and give 
pleasure to firework fans. Similarly, in various local 
cities, large-scale firework events are held during 
summer, and several tens of thousands of spectators 
gather there . People gathering in a firework event 
drop in night stalls and enjoy a stroll in summer 
evening with their families and colleagues. Fireworks 
are indeed a routine event of Japanese ordinary people. 
304 
International Archives of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. Vol. XXXI, Part B5. Vienna 1996 
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