S07 · E27

Obon with a Bang in Nagasaki

In mid-August, families across Japan get together to celebrate Obon, when it is believed the spirits of their ancestors return to visit. In Nagasaki Prefecture, this traditional event is marked in a remarkably boisterous way: people let off skyrockets at their ancestors' graves and light firecrackers. For 3 days, we film a long-established fireworks shop in Nagasaki. Among the customers, 2 brothers fondly remembering their mother who raised them singlehandedly; and a man spending 400,000 yen on firecrackers to send off the spirit of his father who died this year. As tears fall and fireworks explode, what were the customers feeling as they thought about their dearly departed?