Japan's most beautiful hanabi in Omagari 大曲花火大会

Japan's most beautiful hanabi in Omagari

The fireworks season takes place during July and August and is a symbol of the Japanese summer.

In Omagari, the great festivities have taken place on the fourth Saturday in August since 1910, in connection with the Suwa temple, which was founded in the year 801. In Daisen, a district of Omagari, everything is played on the banks of the Omono River for a magnificent spectacle reflected by the waters.

The Omagari fireworks are known for their quality and dynamism with nearly 18,000 rockets, which attract 800,000 visitors each year who come to take their eyes off them.

A particularity of these shows lies in the competition between several pyrotechnicians who come to fight with colored lights. 28 groups from all over Japan compete in the hope of winning the Prime Minister's Prize, the dream of every Japanese pyrotechnician. This is why the Omagari fireworks show is the largest and most prestigious in the country.

A party structured around a competition of lights

For the Omagari Fireworks Festival, participants have been selected from all over Japan to showcase their talents.

The party starts at 5:15 pm., while it is still daylight. It is the only daytime fireworks competition in Japan. You can then appreciate the shape and the artistic color of the smoke of the rockets which soar in the azure blue of the sky.

In the second part, at night from 6:50 pm., the main competition is launched with imposed and original rockets. A jury must note the shapes, colors, rate of fire, compositions, and creativity of each participant. The rules are strict at this level.

Between each competitor's fireworks display, there are young pyrotechnicians from the region who then have the opportunity to show off their newly acquired know-how, to relax the serious atmosphere of the competition with more varied shows.

In all, you will have the pleasure of attending nearly 2 hours of the show, until 8:45 p.m. Ideal for the whole family to enjoy.

• Read also: The top 5 fireworks in Japan

Fireworks in spring, autumn, and winter

Daisen is truly the city of fireworks. Apart from the famous summer competition, you will have the joy of admiring Hanabi during the four seasons of the year!

In winter, even the cold and snow don't put off the young fireworks talents who put on a heart-warming spectacle in the icy air.

In the spring, an international fireworks display is presented with traditional Japanese fireworks artists who invite foreign fireworks artists for a great light show. In 2019, the guest of honor was France with the house of pyrotechnicians Ruggieri.

In autumn, you can attend an innovative show following a precise scenario, such as a film of explosive colored flowers (in October). This video from 2018 shows you the atmosphere...

Events & festivals: where and when to party in Japan?