Residents in Chichibu City, north of Tokyo, have launched homemade rockets to pray and express gratitude for a good harvest in a traditional ritual.

The rockets called ryusei are made from hollowed-out sections of pine trees that are packed with gunpowder and bound with bamboo strips.

The "Chichibu Yoshida-no Ryusei" ritual dates back to the Edo period between the 17th and 19th centuries. It is designated as an important intangible folk cultural asset by the Japanese government.

Twenty-three groups launched their rockets one after another from an elevated platform at the foot of a mountain.

Onlookers clapped and cheered as each rocket soared about 300 meters into the clear autumn sky before a parachute opened.

One man said it was thrilling to see the rising smoke shaped like a dragon.

Arai Hikoji is the head of an association that aims to preserve the Yoshida Ryusei ritual. He said they have inherited this festival from previous generations and hope to make it more lively.