Key Facts
• August 1, 1945: Nagaoka air raid by 125 U.S. B-29 bombers killed 1,489 people.
• 1946: Nagaoka Reconstruction Festival began, followed by the revival of fireworks in 1947.
• Seiji Kase, born in 1922, became a fireworks artisan at age 14.
• Seiji was interned in Siberia for three years after WWII, enduring extreme cold and forced labor.
• 1989: Seiji expressed a desire to launch fireworks in Siberia to honor fallen comrades.
• 1990: Seiji launched the ‘White Chrysanthemum’ in Khabarovsk, Russia, as a tribute.
• 2003: The ‘White Chrysanthemum’ became an annual feature on August 1 to honor air raid victims.
• Seiji’s son, Akira Kase, continues the tradition, ensuring the legacy of peace and remembrance.
• The ‘White Chrysanthemum’ symbolizes peace, crafted with white light-emitting gunpowder.
• Seiji also created iconic fireworks like the ‘Niagara’ and the giant ‘Three-Shaku Ball.’
Summary
The ‘White Chrysanthemum’ fireworks in Nagaoka, Japan, serve as a poignant tribute to the victims of the 1945 air raid and Seiji Kase’s fallen comrades from his Siberian internment. Seiji, a renowned fireworks artisan, endured three years of forced labor in Siberia after WWII. His experiences inspired him to create the ‘White Chrysanthemum,’ first launched in 1990 in Khabarovsk, Russia, as a symbol of peace. Since 2003, this firework has been an annual feature on August 1, commemorating the air raid victims. Seiji’s son, Akira, continues this tradition, ensuring the legacy of remembrance and peace through fireworks. Seiji’s innovations, including the ‘Niagara’ and the ‘Three-Shaku Ball,’ have become iconic symbols of Nagaoka’s resilience and dedication to peace.
