Read ‘em：夏の風物詩 猛暑で日程変更

The extreme summer heat that has struck Japan in recent years due climate change is altering the landscape of annual fireworks and other festivals in the country, forcing the summer events to be moved to spring or autumn. Even so, there are cases where it has been difficult to reschedule the festivals due to their traditional nature.

Farewell to fireworks viewing in ‘yukata’ summer kimonos?

The Adachi Fireworks Festival, an annual summer tradition in Tokyo’s Adachi Ward with a history of roughly 100 years, is set to be held May 31 this year instead of late July as had been the norm.

Last summer, the festival had to be canceled shortly before its start due to an abrupt thunderstorm. By moving the festival forward this year, organizers hope to avoid the risk of cancellation due to bad weather, but “the extreme heat is more serious than just that,” points out Adachi Ward Mayor Yayoi Kondo on the ward’s official website.

Last year, the temperature on the day of the fireworks festival had already climbed to 30 degrees Celsius by 7 a.m., and shortly after 10 a.m. it had surged above 35 C. A security guard was taken to a hospital due to heatstroke and many visitors also complained of feeling ill. As the main venue is located on the riverbed, there were few spots for sheltering from the scorching sun during preparations, taking an unusually serious toll on pyrotechnicians and city employees who were there from early in the day.

While Mayor Kondo acknowledged, “Some people want to see the fireworks festival held in summer, calling it a summer tradition,” she sought understanding for moving up the event schedule, saying, “The summer lately has significantly changed from what we knew as ‘Japanese summer,’ where people clad in ‘yukata’ summer kimonos admired fireworks while cooling themselves with ‘uchiwa’ paper fans.”

A representative of the Adachi Tourism Exchange Association said of the schedule change, “We’re receiving positive feedback this year, such as ‘I can bring my young child'” to the festival.

　花火大会や夏祭り、お盆の伝統行事……そんな日本の「夏の風物詩」に異変が起きている。気候変動に伴う近年の猛暑を受け、大小さまざまな夏のイベントが春や秋の開催に変更されているのだ。一方、祭りの特性上、日程変更が難しいケースもある。

夏は浴衣で花火大会…はもう無理？
　約100年の歴史を誇る東京都足立区の花火大会「足立の花火」は例年7月下旬だった開催日を今年は5月31日に変えた。

　昨年は夕方からの突然の雷雨で、開始直前に中止に追い込まれた。日程変更は荒天による中止リスクを避けるねらいもあるが、「それ以上に深刻なのは猛暑」と近藤弥生区長は区のホームページで説明する。

　昨年の開催日当日の気温は、日中は午前7時に30度、同10時すぎに35度を超えた。熱中症で救急搬送される警備員がいたほか、体調不良を訴える来場者も続出。主会場が河川敷ゆえ日差しを遮る場所も少なく、花火師や職員ら早朝から作業に当たる関係者の負担は尋常ではない。

　近藤区長は「『花火は夏の風物詩、夏に開催してこそ』という声もある」としつつ、「最近の夏は浴衣を着て、うちわで涼をとりながら花火を眺めるというかつての『日本の夏』とはすっかり様変わりした」と理解を求めた。

　足立区観光交流協会の担当者は「『今年は小さい子を連れていける』など好意的な声が多い」と話す。