What is the Nagaoka Fireworks?
Japan takes fireworks seriously, and the Nagaoka Matsuri Ōhanabi Taikai (長岡まつり大花火大会) is counted among the country's three greatest shows. Every August 2 and 3, the city of Nagaoka in Niigata prefecture fires its shells over the Shinano River, Japan's longest, whose wide, flat banks give tens of thousands of people a clear view of the sky.
It is a fireworks show with a memory. On the night of August 1, 1945, American bombers struck Nagaoka, killing 1,489 people and destroying about 80 per cent of the city's urban area. A year later the city held a festival for its recovery and to console the dead, and fireworks became part of it soon after. Nagaoka had fired shells since the 19th century, but this is the version that grew into the show of today.
The memory is renewed every year. On the night of August 1, at the hour the raid began, three pure white shells are launched over the city in silence while temple bells ring. And the show's most famous piece has a story of its own: after the Chūetsu earthquake of October 2004 devastated the region, the organizers created Phoenix, a display spread across about two kilometres of riverbank, as a prayer for recovery. It has closed both nights ever since.
What to expect
The fireworks run for about two hours each evening, from shortly after dark. Rather than a non-stop barrage, the show is a sequence of named pieces, each sponsored and announced over loudspeakers, often with a message from the sponsor: a family remembering someone, a company, a school.
August 1
The memorial night
The festival opens with a memorial ceremony for the air-raid victims and, late in the evening, the three white shells, fired at the hour the raid began. It is a quiet, local evening rather than a show, and there are no tickets to buy.
August 2
First night of fireworks
The main show. Watch for the sanshakudama, a three-shaku shell about 90 cm across that climbs some 600 metres before opening into a burst roughly 650 metres wide. You feel it as much as see it.
August 3
Second night of fireworks
A different programme with the same highlights, including another Phoenix to close. Many visitors choose one night; locals often go to both.
A shell over the river at the Nagaoka fireworks
Photo by G.A.I.N / flickr · CC BY 2.0
Planning your trip
Getting there
Nagaoka is on the Joetsu Shinkansen, about an hour and a half from Tokyo and under half an hour from Niigata city. The viewing areas on both banks of the river are a walk of twenty to thirty minutes from Nagaoka Station. After the show, everyone heads for the station at once, so expect long, slow queues for trains.
Where to stay
Nagaoka's hotels are booked up for the festival long in advance, often by returning guests. Niigata city, a short shinkansen ride away, has far more rooms, and some visitors simply come from Tokyo for the evening and take a late train back.
What it costs
Seats range from places on mats on the grass to benches and chairs in the stands, priced per person or per group mat. Tickets go on sale in spring, first by lottery, and the best areas cost more. Add the shinkansen fare and a room in Niigata or Tokyo if you are not staying in Nagaoka itself.
Go like you know
- Stay for the end. The Phoenix closes the show, and the crowd often answers with applause and waving lights across the river.
- Listen to the announcements before each piece. The messages from sponsors are part of what makes this show feel local.
- Take your rubbish home with you; locals leave the riverbanks spotless.
- Make a week of it: Aomori Nebuta and Sendai Tanabata fall in the same days of early August, a few hours north by shinkansen.
- For a summer festival with fireworks in the city, see Osaka's Tenjin Matsuri in July.
Frequently asked questions
Can I watch the Nagaoka fireworks for free?
Not at the official venue, where every viewing area is ticketed. Some people watch from further away in the city, but the view is much poorer, and the sound and size of the big shells are lost. If you are travelling for the fireworks, apply for tickets when sales open in spring.
Which night should I choose?
Either. Both nights are about two hours and both end with Phoenix, though the programme of sponsored pieces differs. Choose by ticket availability and your travel plans. If you can, arrive on August 1 for the memorial, which explains why the city holds the show at all.
What happens if it rains?
Light rain does not stop the show, so bring a rain poncho rather than an umbrella, which blocks the view behind you. Strong winds, storms or high water on the river can lead to cancellation or delays, announced by the organizers on the day.
