The Nagaoka Grand Fireworks Festival, held every year on 2 and 3 August, is a major event with 20,000 fireworks over two days and attracts more than one million spectators from all over Japan, more than three times the population of Japan, and is one of the most popular firework shows in Japan, winning first place in the Yahoo! Ranking" (2015), it is one of the most popular fireworks shows in Japan.

Map of the venue (official website of the Nagaoka Festival Grand Fireworks Festival: http://nagaokamatsuri.com/より引用)

As is the fate of popular firework festivals, the main venue for the Nagaoka Fireworks Festival is anyway very crowded between the Chosei Bridge and the Ote Bridge over the Shinano River. However, there are actually other hidden viewpoints!

In this issue, the Nagaoka Citizens' Co-operation Centre, which supports community and civic activities in Nagaoka City, and FM Nagaoka, a community FM station in Nagaoka City, have collaborated to conduct a survey and recommend local viewpoints for the Nagaoka fireworks!

1. upstream of the Choso Bridge.

Avoid the Choso Bridge - Ote Bridge and often go from the Choso Bridge to the Phoenix Bridge. Surprisingly, you can sit down even if you go on the day. I give up on the Nayagara, but the proximity to the fireworks is good. (Omochichan)

Nagaoka Fireworks' famous 'Shosanshakudama'. The famous fireworks, which are synonymous with Nagaoka fireworks, were first launched in Nagaoka in 1926 (Taisho 15) and are shot up to 600 m in the air, creating a large bloom with a diameter of approximately 650 m. The Shosanshakudama is launched upstream from the Chosei Bridge! The Shosanshakudama is launched upstream from the Chosei Bridge! Free spectator seats are available near the Chosei Bridge, but entry may be restricted depending on the conditions on the day. If you want to avoid the crowds, move to the Phoenix Bridge side.

In this area, some people also recommended the "Saiwai Plaza" (former Nagaoka City Hall) as a viewpoint.

When I used to live in the Kawahigashi area, I used to ride my bicycle to the back side of the then Saiwaicho City Hall (now the Saiwai Plaza) to watch it. It was a little plaza, beautiful, the three-foot-tall ball went up close by and it wasn't too crowded, so it was my favourite place. (Momoko)

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2. downstream of the Ote Bridge.

Downstream of the Ote Bridge is an area where the entire Phoenix fireworks display can be seen, as are the paid-for 'Phoenix viewing seats', which are used to pray for the recovery from the Chuetsu Earthquake of 23 October 2004. The Phoenix, which is approximately 2 km wide, cannot be seen from the main Chosei Bridge to Otte Bridge! Free seats are widely available in the downstream area of the Ote Bridge, both on the right bank on the Nagaoka Station side and on the left bank on the Nagaoka IC side.

The Waterworks Park, located a short distance away, also seems to be a viewpoint downstream of the Ote Bridge.

I visited the Waterworks Park once a few years ago and was able to see it in a relaxed way, without the crowds making it too difficult. I am glad that I can go there by bicycle. (Ms Shirotan)

水道公園付近オヌヌメです(｀_´)ゞ毎年、近くの田中組さんトコで出店させてもらってます。（多幸坊主さん）

3. footpath on the Nagaoka Bridge - and further downstream.

One downstream from the Ote Bridge. The Nagaoka Bridge, a road bridge hanging over the Nagaoka Bypass on National Highway 8, is also an unexpected viewpoint.

こちらの写真は長岡大橋の歩道から撮ったものです。信濃川の水面に花火が反射する姿がいいな～なんて思いながら観ていました。（Mさん）

The Shinano River, Japan's largest river, and the open Echigo-Tsumari plains mean that fireworks can be seen from quite a distance. Along the lower reaches of the Shinano River, many locals can be seen enjoying the fireworks from a distance, with chairs lined up along the riverbank. Many people take their time to enjoy the fireworks at the Zao Bridge, another bridge downstream from the Nagaoka Bridge, or in the parks around the bridge.

The survey also received feedback from locals about spots that are a whopping 25 km or more away!

Although outside Nagaoka City, fireworks can also be seen, albeit small, from the pedestrian bridge at the Naoé 1 intersection on Route 8 in Naoé-cho, Sanjo, when looking in the direction of Nagaoka. I can listen to FM Nagaoka's Nakanoshima station, so I enjoy it with the radio. Incidentally, you can also see fireworks from the local Sanjo Summer Festival in the opposite direction of the footbridge! (NAGAOKA fan! (Mr.)

4. around the Nagaoka IC

For those who want to watch the fireworks from a slightly remote location at a leisurely pace, we recommend the spots on the right bank (Nagaoka Station side) and on the left bank (Nagaoka IC side) from higher ground.

長岡花火ほど広範囲に観ることのできる花火大会も全国的に稀ではないでしょうか！そんな中でも比較的中間的な場所、長岡ICより少し西側、市立総合支援学校付近からのフェニックス花火の写真です。長岡の花火の素晴らしさは離れていてもＦＭながおかさんがきちんと音声中継してくれているということです！花火 は離れると音が・・・とよく言われますが、なんのなんの！ちゃんとリアルタイムな音も伝わってきます。遠方から来られた方にも持参した音をおすそ分けしながら、コミュニケーションもしながらの長岡花火もＧＯＯＤですよ(#^^#)　（Mさん）

The Nagaoka fireworks are said to be a 'photographer's curse', with some saying they can't be captured in the viewfinder near the venue. Why not check out the Long Life Centre in Higoshi, an area around the Nagaoka IC, where events to view the fireworks are held?

5. Higashiyama area.

The best place to visit on the right bank of the Nagaoka Station side of the river is the Higashiyama area in the town of Suyoshi, Nagaoka City.

少し離れた場所で楽しみたいという方には、長岡市栖吉町にある東山ファミリーランドのキャンプ場のフリースペースがオススメ。人混みが苦手な方、いかがでしょうか？（Kさん）

The view of the fireworks from the area of the municipal farm is a well-known local point. Photographers, you don't need to use a fisheye lens to get a good view of the Phoenix from here! When watching the fireworks, be sure to bring a radio... Even if you don't know each other, watching the fireworks around the radio creates a sense of togetherness and people start exchanging side dishes (laughs) (Mr Y).

Watching the Nagaoka fireworks from afar is also a 'nice' experience.

6. as a local, the best place to be is at home!

And, as expected, many locals said they were watching from home.

一年に２日間解放されるマンションの屋上。普段は、かかわりが少ない住民同士ですがこの日だけは本当にみんな譲りあい、助け合い、同じ空間で花火鑑賞をしています。顔見知りになるといういい防災訓練になっている気がします。（Oさん）

I always see myself on the roof of my house. My sister and her husband come to visit, so I have fukashi aubergines, evening glories, string cucumbers and zuiki. I don't forget the edamame. They still laugh at the fact that I put up a ladder to watch the fireworks, but when I see them saying, "See you next year", I am glad I did. (Happy Tomatoes)

Not only on the rooftops of condominiums, but also in Nagaoka, where many people have "put a ladder up to their house to watch the fireworks"! This episode symbolises Nagaoka's love of fireworks.

How was the "Local Viewpoints of the Nagaoka Fireworks" created by the voices of local people? The biggest attraction of the Nagaoka Fireworks is said to be its location. The size of the Shinano riverbed where large fireworks can be launched one after another and the good visibility from afar are unique to Nagaoka. We hope you will come and see the live Nagaoka Fireworks!

Nagaoka Festival Grand Fireworks Festival

[Venue] Around the Shinano River bed downstream of Chosei Bridge, Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture.

[Date and time] Tuesday 2 and Wednesday 3 August 2016, 19:20-21:10 (tentative) *Period to be determined in case of rain. Undecided in case of inclement weather.

[Enquiries]0258-39-2221 Nagaoka Festival Council (in Nagaoka City Festival Promotion Section)

[HP] http://nagaokamatsuri.com/