As I’m sitting in the car, I look out the window and see the ocean under the Wakato Bridge.
“Back in the day, all you could see from here was pollution from the seven-colored smoke.”
My granddaughter perks up from scrolling on her smartphone.

“You already told us about it, Grandma.”
People who were born after the fact only know the current Kitakyushu and all its natural beauty. They don’t know about the booming coal industry and what we went through. But my children are sweet and let me talk about it over and over.

“Let’s go to the fireworks together this year, Grandma. It should be lots of fun.”
“The Kukinoumi Fireworks Festival? Only locals know about that one.”
“Yeah, I’m also a local too, you know.”
She says this without taking her eyes off her smartphone.

I don’t know how to make sure my granddaughter is proud of her roots without pushing her too hard. I decided to tell her some more.
“Although there were environmental issues, Kitakyushu is a city with a long and rich history that dates back to the Meiji era.”
Suddenly she looked up from her smartphone.
“Grandma, I was wondering… is there anything you remember about Tobata district, where I live?
“Of course. For example…”

Sitting in the backseat of the car next to my granddaughter, I realize there’s so much more I want to tell her, and I can tell she wants to listen. I look forward to my son in the driver's seat and I notice his hair has grayed. When did the time fly by? He doesn’t join the conversation but I can tell he’s smiling as he listens to us talk about our history.

Wakato Bridge is a large red suspension bridge.
Before the Taisho era, ships were the only way to cross the ocean from Kyushu and they could only carry light cargo. This sometimes caused accidents.
Once Japan developed its transportation after the war, cars were the preferred way for travel and transportation.

Kitakyushu was no exception and they built the Wakato Bridge over Dokai Bay to connect Tobata and Wakamatsu. At the time it was the longest suspension bridge in Asia and it symbolized the glory of Kitakyushu. Soon after, Japan started building suspension bridges all over the country.
As you might recall, this happened when the coal industry was booming and the ocean was heavily polluted.

“Have you ever swam in the ocean here?”
If you asked anyone from that time they would scoff at such a question. “Of course not!” It was in no condition for anyone to swim.
But thanks to the pollution measures in place, the ocean under the Wakato Bridge is now pristinely clean.

Kukinoumi Fireworks Festival is held at the end of July and has been going on for about 35 years. Ships sail into Dokai Bay and launch the fireworks from the ocean, including a special show called Niagara Falls, where fireworks are set off from under the bridge. Even if the city is not as prosperous as before, the brilliant fireworks that remind us of the past continue to impress the 300,000 spectators who visit every year. It's a popular local tradition for the people of Kitakyushu.

Drive along the Wakato Bridge from Wakamatsu to Tobata and you’ll see the industrial area of Kitakyushu in the distance. Tobata is also a place where the history of Kitakyushu slumbers.