Japan’s many summer fireworks festivals have inspired enthusiasts who specialize in photographing hanabi (literally “flower-fires”), and Keisuke is emerging as an Instagram favorite thanks to works like these.
Via the Japan National Tourism Organization:
Originally an ancient Chinese invention, fireworks arrived in Japan in the 16th century, where they evolved in a unique way. In the Edo period (1603-1868) the production of fireworks flourished, and the fireworks factories centered on the de facto capital of Edo (what is now Tokyo). Edo was a city where all sorts of artisans and skilled technicians gathered.
The craftsmen of old Japan were true artists. The makers of fireworks created refined designs by hand with exquisite expertise. The Japanese word for fireworks is hanabi: hana means “flower” and bi means “fire,” so hanabi is a flower expressed with fire.
In order to make fireworks, the craftsmen first had to master the art of flower arrangement. Creating fireworks also meant arranging flowers. Every single piece included a flower theme. That is why Japanese fireworks are not only suitable for large festivals, but can also express the quiet and austere esthetics of the particularly Japanese world of wabi-sabi.
Keisuke also offers a lovely calendar of his works.