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Japanese firework catapults a teddy bear into the sky

Oona McGee Aug 18, 2021
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Proof that people in Japan really are spoilt with crazy, unusual goods.

Summer is the season for fireworks in Japan, but now that many of the big events have been cancelled due to the pandemic, we’ve been tracking down some of the country’s most unique home fireworks, and they’ve been wowing us with their surprising ingenuity.

Our most recent find was a special “daytime firework“, which our Japanese-language reporter Masanuki Sunakoma recently discovered online. Priced at 1,072 yen (US$9.78), the “Flying Kumako-san” (“Flying Little Bear“), comes decorated with pictures of smiling, waving teddy bears, which would no doubt appeal to young children.

▼ This purple sign on the pack says it’s a firework to be used during the day.

▼ Here again, it says “Day Firework”.

Masanuki wasn’t sure why this firework was to be used in the daytime, but being a responsible fireworks user, he decided to follow the instructions as directed.

He found a wide open space with nobody around and stood the firework on a flat surface, placing some rocks around the base to prevent it from tipping over during the launch.

With the launchpad secure, it was time to light the firework at the base and retreat to a safe distance to watch the launch.

▼ Three…

▼ …two…

▼…one…

▼ …lift-off!

The action resembled a blast from a cannon rather than the colourful burst of a firework, as something inside was forcefully catapulted 10 metres (32 feet) into the sky above.

Masanuki saw several things burst into the sky, but made sure to stand well away from them until they had landed.

Once they’d fallen back to Earth, Masanuki set about to retrieve the items. The closest thing to him was the bright red lid, which had opened slightly, resembling the tip of a red rocket.

▼ There was also a white cardboard part nearby…

▼ And…

▼ …something blue…

▼ ….was this the crash site???

Picking up the blue object, Masanuki found it was a bright blue teddy bear, and thankfully it had survived the fall, beaming from ear to ear as if it had enjoyed its excursion into the sky.

It wasn’t the softest of landings to welcome this teddy bear to the world, but it certainly was a memorable one. And that’s when Masanuki realised why this firework needed to be set off during the day. Had he set it off at night, this little bear would’ve been lost forever, unless he enlisted the help of a search party with flashlights to find the dear little animal.

▼ Masanuki captured all the drama of the firework in this hilarious video, complete with a rousing song from Whitney Houston.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by 砂子間正貫 (@sunakoman)

Thankfully, Masanuki had used the firework in the day so he was able to find the little bear easily when it landed. It’s just another lesson in why it’s so important to follow the instructions when using fireworks like these, which are readily available at stores throughout Japan. And yes, that goes for the middle-aged guy’s farting balloon firework too.

Related: Rakuten
Images: ©SoraNews24
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