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Handheld fireworks. From classics to popular novelty fireworks!

When it comes to summer fun, it’s all about fireworks.

Going out to a big fireworks show is great, but if you want something easy to enjoy with friends and family, handheld fireworks are perfect!

These days, many fireworks have fun surprises, like changing colors midway.

In this article, we’ll introduce various types of handheld fireworks, so if you want to enjoy them or learn about the different kinds, be sure to use this as a reference.

Even kids experiencing fireworks for the first time will want to try if the fireworks are exciting and fun.

Let’s make the most of handheld fireworks this summer!

Handheld fireworks. From classics to popular novelty fireworks! (11–20)

Omikuji Fireworks

Omikuji Fireworks 4-pack, domestically made. Burn time: red 17 seconds, gold 18 seconds, green 16 seconds, white 30 seconds. Handheld fireworks, toy fireworks.
Omikuji Fireworks

These are fortune-telling fireworks that reveal your luck by their color! The set includes one of each of four types.

If the firework sparkles gold, it’s great luck; silver means good luck; green means a little luck; and red means bad luck.

You won’t know the color until you light it, so you can enjoy the excitement of finding out which one you’ll get! You can also have fun competing with friends or family to see who gets which fortune while enjoying the fireworks together.

They’re fun not only when you light them, but even before you do!

The Artisan Japan

Super dazzling! The artisan Japan: [e Hanabi-ya-san]
The Artisan Japan

With its cool, understated name, “The Artisan Japan,” this firework stands out for its unique burn.

Instead of a steady glow, it crackles and flashes repeatedly like a strobe light, erupting with a dramatic intensity that’s downright startling.

What’s more, this effect keeps repeating for about 60 seconds—quite a long time for a firework—so you can enjoy it at length.

The brightness of the flashing never fades right up to the very end.

Highly recommended if you want the thrill and excitement of something a little different!

Red Pepper Spicy

Opens in two ♪ Red Pepper Spicy [e Hanabiya-san]
Red Pepper Spicy

The handheld firework with the strikingly spicy-sounding name “Red Pepper Spicy.” Just like its name, it produces a hot-looking red flame with crackling sparks scattering around it.

At the very moment you light it, only a single jet of flame appears, but after a few seconds, the flaming section splits into two! That rare transformation really gets your heart racing.

Toward the end, the flame’s color shifts from red to yellow before fading out.

With one stick you can enjoy a variety of changes in form and color, making it a firework you’ll want to light again and again.

Angel’s wings

Just like angel wings! Angel Wings [e Hanabiya-san]
Angel's wings

This handheld firework has two sparklers joined at the tip, so when you light it, the sparks cross and flow in a V-shape, creating a design like angel wings! There’s only one lighting point, so you don’t have to worry about “only one of the two lighting.” The burn time is about 30 seconds, and both sides finish almost simultaneously.

Its unique shape makes it perfect for sharing on social media like Instagram! We especially recommend it for students and working professionals aiming for a “V-shaped recovery” in their studies or work—give it a try!

Japan’s longest spark

Japan’s Longest Sparkler, 2-piece boxed set, domestically made, burn time approx. 230 seconds, low smoke, handheld firework, toy, fireworks
Japan's longest spark

An astonishing burn time of about 230 seconds! This is Japan’s longest-lasting handheld firework.

While typical fireworks burn for 30 seconds—60 seconds at most—this one boasts more than double the duration! Many people have probably thought, “I wish the spark lasted longer” every time they use handheld fireworks.

This firework grants that wish—it’s a super firework! The spark shape is a rounded, sparkler-like burst, like an enlarged senko-hanabi.

It also produces very little smoke, so it’s fine even if you’re sensitive to it.

Be sure to experience Japan’s number-one firework!

Higashi’s Sparklers: Nagate Botan

Domestic Eastern-style sparklers (senko hanabi)
Higashi's Sparklers: Nagate Botan

These are sparklers in a familiar shape for everyone who enjoys fireworks.

Sparklers originated in Kansai and were made with straw, but when they spread to the Kanto region—where rice cultivation was less common and papermaking was thriving—they began to be made with paper instead of straw.

They later became the standard type of sparkler nationwide.

Compared to the “Western sparklers (Subote Botan),” they are characterized by a longer burn time.

They are weak against wind, and strong gusts can make the sparks fall, so it’s best to play with them on windless days or in places with a windbreak.

In conclusion

Compared to the past, there are a lot more types of handheld fireworks now, and just looking at them is fun.

Handheld fireworks are often sold in sets, but you can buy them individually too.

They’re only a few hundred yen each, so they’re easy to try.

If any fireworks catch your eye, be sure to give them a try this summer!