The country was in an economic crisis, and the people suffered from famine and disease to a greater degree than normal.

Originally called Ryōgoku Kawabiraki (両国川開), the display had become an established tradition by 1810, and rivalries began to emerge over control of each year's festival.

The Tamaya (玉屋) and Kagiya (鍵屋) guilds of pyrotechnicians quickly became the two major rivals, initiating the tradition of the competition.

The number of onlookers steadily grew, and they began to shout out the names (see yagō) of their favorite fireworks artists.

The tradition survived the upheaval of the Meiji Restoration in 1868, and continued nearly every year until it dropped off in the 1920s, and ceased entirely during World War II and for several decades afterwards.