Fireworks are an essential part of the Japanese summer.
Many fireworks displays are held throughout Japan every year from July to September, and the most popular ones are known as the 'Three Great Fireworks Festivals of Japan'. If you are travelling to Japan in summer, it is recommended to go for fireworks!
nagaokaMatsuri Grand Fireworks Festival is held in Niigataprefecture nagaokacity, about two hours by Shinkansen bullet train from tokyo. It began in 1879, making it the oldest of Japan's three major fireworks festivals and the largest in scale.
nagaokaThe Matsuri Grand Fireworks Festival is held every year on 2 and 3 August, with a whopping 20,000 fireworks shot off over the two days. It is a popular fireworks display that attracts around 1 million visitors from Niigatainside and outside the prefecture every year.
nagaokaUnlike other fireworks displays, the Fireworks Festival is a memorial and reconstruction event. 1945 nagaokawas tragically damaged by the war. In 1948, 1 August was designated as 'Memorial Day for the War Victims' and the 2nd and 3rd as 'Fireworks Day', and from that time to the present day, prayers for peace have been conveyed through the fireworks display.
nagaokaThe highlight of the fireworks is the opportunity to see the powerful fireworks up close. The famous "Shosanshakudama" weighs 300 kg and uses 80 kg of gunpowder, and features a blooming width of 650 m in diameter. Three of these super-sized fireworks are shot off, and you can experience not only their size but also the shock of the sound that resonates through your body.
The most popular attraction is the "Phoenix", a fireworks display that started in 2005 to pray for recovery from the Niigata中越earthquake of 2004. The name "Phoenix" seems to have been named after the city's symbol of inflexibility, the phoenix, as a firework to pray for recovery from the earthquake nagaoka.
The width of the fireworks is approximately 2 km, and the sight of a wide starmine in the shape of a phoenix being launched for five minutes is a spectacular sight like no other. It is recommended as a fireworks display that should be seen at least once.
nagaokaDue to the Corona in recent years, the fireworks are now only available in the current fireworks area with paid spectator seats, which must be booked in advance. tokyoThere are bus tours with fireworks spectator seats available from As well as fireworks, there are also tours that include delicious local food and hot springs, so you can enjoy Niigataand neighbouring prefectures at a great price.
If you are travelling to Japan in summer, why not include the nagaokaMatsuri Grand Fireworks Festival, one of Japan's three largest fireworks displays, in your plans?
