Nagaoka Fireworks Festival 長岡まつり大花火大会

First started in 1946 as a war-damage reconstruction event to mourn the deceased of WWII, the Nagaoka Fireworks Festival in Niigata Prefecture carries on the spirit of Japan through the decades.

It's not difficult to see why this display of pyrotechnics from August 2-3 is one of Japan's top three fireworks festivals, and as many as a million people watch it every year.

This fireworks event can be accessed by public transportation or by car.

By train, take the Joetsu Shinkansen to Nagaoka Station. The festival venue is 20 minutes on foot from the station.

By car, exit the Kanetsu Expressway at Nagaoka interchange. Parking is very limited and festival parking lots mostly charge a fee. Expect heavy traffic after the show.

The Nagaoka Fireworks Festival is held annually from August 2 to 3, along the banks of the Shinano River near Ote Bridge. The fireworks last for a couple of hours and feature many large-scale displays.

Enormous sounds echo in your heart as brightly-colored fireworks in the shape of chrysanthemums, bouquets, Niagara Falls and volcanos fill the sky.

The fireworks are huge. You can sit on the riverbank and watch the night sky light up in red, green, blue and gold.

The “Reconstruction Phoenix Fireworks” are undoubtedly the highlight of the spectacle. In this portion, five minutes of fireworks are timed perfectly with Ayaka Hirahara's song “Jupiter,” written for the reconstruction of Niigata's Chuetsu area after a disastrous earthquake. This moving melody and the pyrotechnics bring many attendees to tears.

Besides fireworks, portable shrine and float parades, folk dance processions and toro nagashi (floating paper lanterns down the river) are also major events at the festival.

The riverbanks get extremely crowded for this festival, so make sure you go there hours before the official start to claim a spot. The viewing area is free of charge.

If you'd like to have a Japanese fireworks experience of a lifetime, it's possible to purchase Grand Tickets. It is recommended to reserve as early as May for Grand Tickets.