The Nagaoka Fireworks, held in Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture, is a famous fireworks festial held on the banks of the Shinano River, the longest river in Japan, which flows between Niigata and Nagano Prefectures.
The Nagaoka Fireworks is one of Japan’s Three Great Firework Festivals because of the many large and powerful fireworks that are launched in the same time.
In 2019, a record 1.08 million people visited the festival over the two days.
It is also known as one of the “Echigo’s Three Great Fireworks Festivals”, together with the Gion Kashiwazaki Festival Sea Fireworks Festival and the Katakai Festival, the Kashiwazaki Festival Sea Fireworks Festival.
Note: “Echigo” refers to the area of present-day Niigata Prefecture excluding Sado Island.
The festival are called “Nagaoka for the river”, “Katakai for the mountains” and “Kashiwazaki for the sea”, respectively, after the locations where they are held.
Origin of Nagaoka Fireworks
The origin of Nagaoka Fireworks comes from the fact that the fireworks were launched as a memorial to those who died in the Nagaoka air raids during World War II, as a way of expressing gratitude to those who worked so hard for the reconstruction of the city, and to express the wish for lasting peace.
INFORMATION
NAME
Nagaoka Festival Grand Fireworks Show (長岡まつり大花火大会)
NUMBER OF FIREWORKS
20,000 (Total for two days)
DATE
August 2 3, 2023
SHOW TIME
19:20-21:10
Venue
Banks of the Shinano River, Nagaoka City
ADDRESS
Okamuramachi, Nagaoka City, Niigata 940-0000
ACCESS
30 minute walk from Nagaoka Station.
STATION INFO
(JR) Nagaoka Station
Joetsu Shinkansen, Joetsu Line, Shinetsu main line
URL