Watch the explosion of the world's heaviest firework [Video]

Explosions of multi-colored flowery light, took over the night sky over Kounosu City, Japan's Saitama Prefecture, for the 13th annual Kounosu Hanabi Taikai festival. The crowd of 600,000 people were treated to a show of 15,000 fireworks, capped off by a record-breaking 460kg rocket which burst into a fiery ball of 800m in diameter.

Japan has a long history of celebrating fireworks festivals all throughout the summer months that can be traced back to the Edo Period in 1732.

According to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), night time fireworks were a way to enjoy the cool outdoor evenings. By 1810, the traditions became stiff competition between pyrotechnic houses, with each celebration trying to out-do the other.