THE PAST AND THE PRESENT ABOUT
JAPAN FlREWORKS ARTISTS ASSOCIATION
l. Status Quo
Executive Office : C/O Hanabi Japan Co.Ltd. 3rd Floor,Union Bldg. 1-2-6 Monzennakacho, Koto-Ku, Tokyo TEL : 03−3630−2262, FAX : 03−3630−2210
Date of Establishnent : January ll.1960
The Purposes of Business Activities:
The following activiteis are perforned for the advancenent and Diffusion of the art of the Japanese Fireworks.
a) Exchange of technical inforEations,and the opening of Research and Study laeetings for the Fireworks Art.
b) Cooperation for and participation in Fireworks Productions, Conpetetions,and Public Relations activities overseas.
c) Opening of the events purpoted to participate in The Art Festival sponsored by Ministry of Educatiion.
d) Publications of Journals for publicity and enlightening of the Japanese Fireworks.
e) Other activities for llprovenent of the Fireworks Art.
Organization : 26 Members (as of March 2010)
Officers :
President Akio Aoki
Vice-Pres Tadao Kanno
Masayoshi Konno
Chief,Executive Office:
Mr. Keiji Hosoya (President of Hosoya Enterprises Co.Ltd)
A body incorporated :
As a legal base for the Activities of The Association, "Hanabi Japan Co.Ltd." has been established, executing office works and business for domestic and overseas.
2. History
The Japan Fireworks Artists Association was founded in the fall of 1959 in commemoration of the first occasion of awarding of the Yellow Band Medal from Japanese Govermnent to the late Mr. Gisaku Aoki who was said to be the prossessor of utmost art in the field of Fireworks in Japan, and who had invented multi the Yaeshin Type shell associates under Mr. Aoki as first President, Hideichi Yoshikawa. as counselor who had been one of the spnsors of All Japan Fireworks Contest held at River Sumida in Tokyo, famous sculpter Fumio Asakura, Dr. Tomizo Yoshida, Dr. Sukenori Yanmaoto as advisors. Names of those eleven associates are Gisaku Aoki, Tamon Aoki, Hirobumi Iketani, Giichi Kitajima,Masao Hosoya, Takasuke Fujisawa, Ikusaburo Tozawa, Mohei Kanazawa, Shoichiro Horigome, Hedetaro Sunagaa and Teruhiko Muto. They are almost all winners of first prize in the competitions held at Ryogoku, Omagari, Tsuchiura and Ise.
The earliest step of activity of the Association was to make a joint announcement of the object of the Association at a meeting just after the Fireworks shows held in Gifu and Tokyo. In 1960 six more people joined as associate．They are Dr. Takeo Shimijzu, Fujishige Tamura, Shozaburo Koizumi, Takumi Oda, Takeichi Yamaguchi and Hichiro Tsurumi.
From the time until now members of participant are 59（22 people died till now. After passing away of the First President of Mr. Aoki in 1965 his son Tamon Aoki succeeded the position of the president. Dr. Hikita of Tokyo Univ. became a counselor.
We have sent every Year our productions to Fireworks shows held at various places in this country. They have won high praise as representing the essense of Japanese Fireworks Art.
More over we invented numerous new type of Fireworks and always played a leading roll in advancing Fireworks Art in Japan. An out standing example is the research of the use of less hazardous pechlorate as substitute of chlorate which was oftel t he c au se of hazard．This research has proquced fairely good result by the joint effort of the members under guidance of the presidelt. We have been endeavoring to fostor successors to the veterans in the art of Fireworks by opening various seminars on the art．We also planned revival of the History of Fireworks Shows and collected exhibit matterials in cooperation with the Chunichi Press. We have taken a step forward for introduction of Japanese Fireworks to foreign countries. For the recent years, we have already introduced the Japanese Fireworks to Canada, Hong Kong, Thailand, and West Germany which has received high praise from these countries. Furthernore, in 1990, we made a joint一venture with a US factory to establish“HAINABI AMERICA INC“. The comopany is located in suburbs of Enid, Oklahoma, just middlle of The USA. This is a bridgehead base for the introduction of the art of the Japanese Fireworks and of the finest art of the sky.
We would like to make a full cooperation with people concerend and do our best to improve the technics and rise the position of the Fileworks indsutry.
3. Constitution of Personel
An associate must be a pyrotechnist who either showed an outstanding merit at competitions held at various places of the country or invented unique type of Fireworks and approved at a general meeting held every year with recommendation of more than two associates.
In a word, it may be said that an associate is a member of a group of outstanding pyrotechnist in Japan. A neccessary condition in the selection of the asscciates is his amiable and cooperative charactor He must be a pyrotechnist who personally takes part in manufacture. An advisor or counselor must be a person who has deep understanding in the art of Fireworks.
A person or party who has cooperated in the activities of the Association will be recommended as a suppoting member.
4 .Principal Activities.
1. Joint Exhibits
Joint exhibits are works of the associates who brought up their favorite works after final brushing up. These Joint Exhibits have been best Fireworks which have won the first prize at competitions hetherto held. We have sent these joint exhibits to The Fireworks shows held at Gifu, Kanazawa, Shinoda, Okazaki, Nagashima, Suzuka. Toyoda, Obama , Utsumi , Tokoname, Mizusawa, Goshogawara, Otsu, Ishinomaki, Yaizu, Iida, Mikkabi, Wagura, Mino, hikone, Seki, Yokkaichi, Matsutou, Kolnatsu, Yoshikawa, Noto, Odate, Suwa, Tokimatam, Ichida, Furukawa, Saganamihara, Atami, Chiba, Asahikawa, Sapporo, Hakodate and others .
2. Joint Productions Overseas.
West Gernany : June , 1979.(Bonn), June, 1982 and Sept.1987(Dusseldolf ) Aug.1987(Berlin)
Canada : 1981 through 1987(joined Vancouver Sea Festival) Espcailly in 1987,at the Opening Ceremony of the EXPO to welcome the prince of Great Britain.
Hong Kong : Oct.1983, (joined the Art Festival) Feb. 1986 , (Chinese New Years) Oct.1986. (Welcome Fireworks show for the Queen EIizabeth.
Thai land : Dec-1984, Dec.1987 and Dec.1992 at Bangkok for King's and Queen's Birthday and their 5th cycle anniversary.
3.History of Fireworks Shows.
Models are exhibited illustrating a histrical change of Fireworks from old time to present day. Various types of Fireworks are also exhibited showing classfied Fireworks .
4.Future Objectives.
●Entry in the Art Festival sponsored by the Ministry of Education.
This is our long cherished hope from the time of establishment of the Association and every effort has been made to promote this.
●Preservation of records of art of Fireworks as a national cultural weaIth Videos or other recording machines are used for the purpose.
●Displays of Japanese Fireworks in foreign countries (See 4-2)
Not with standing that it is universally recognized that the art of Japanese Fireworks keep the highest level of completion, Fireworks exported abroad does hardly Show,to our great regret,the true essence of the Japanese Fireworks. To supplenent this,the associates go abroad bringing their products with them to show the highest art and beauty of the sky directly to the eyes of foreign spectators. We believe that it is very effective and usuful for promotion of friendly relation-ship between Japan and many countries concerened.
As we said we have established "HANABI AMERICA INC" in the US and this means that we set up our base abroad first and then intend to vitalize our international activities more outside Japan.
●Training of successors, promotion of exchange of technical imformations
To improve the ability of the successor and to train him to aquire the traditional art,the exchange of technical informations and holding of seminars will be neccessary and we will positively prosecute our plannings.
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