*The video above was taken at Mikuni Fireworks Festival this year (2018).
Summer is almost over, and fall is soon to be here.
There are many enjoyable things to do during summer in Japan such as going to
summer festivals and/or fireworks festivals, swimming in the ocean,
enjoying Nagashi-somen (eating somen noodles with chopsticks as it runs down of water),
climbing mountains, wearing Yukata (Japanese summer kimono), etc.
I myself enjoyed some of these events this summer. I would like to share one of them.
Watching Mikuni Fireworks Festival was amazing!
It was held on August 11th at Mikuni Sunset Beach in Sakai City, Fukui Prefecture.
It is an annual event which has been conducted since before World War Two.
Because it is the largest fireworks festival in Hokuriku region, many people come to
Mikuni every year. It is known that the venue of the Mikuni fireworks becomes extremely
crowded, people have hard time watching the fireworks, walking and/or driving around it.
Some people who want to watch it closely on the beach, they even go to the beach early in the morning, stay there all day just to watch the 1 hour of fireworks!
I arrived at the venue as the festival began and it was very crowded.
I thought it was too late to find a good spot to enjoy the fireworks.
I even thought that I wouldn’t be able to watch it.
Luckily, although I had to keep standing, I found a good spot where I could see
the fireworks clearly.
Now, I know that if you don’t mind watching it without sitting, you can always find a good spot even after the fireworks festival starts.
As the fireworks festival began, large fireworks were set off with unique announcement and music. As much I was impressed by the fireworks, it was enjoyable to hear the unique announcement which had its own way of introducing each firework as well.
The powerful sound of the fireworks was impressive.
If you have a chance to visit Sakai City, Fukui Prefecture on August 11th,
I recommend watching the Mikuni Fireworks Festival.
Every August 11th, Mikuni Fireworks is held at Mikuni Sunset Beach in Mikuni-cho, Sakai City, Fukui Prefecture. It will be 38th annual festival this year, and about 10 different kinds of fireworks blasting off into the night sky. It’ll last for about an hour.
① 2-shaku-dama firework
A round firework with a circumference of about 60 centimeters shell
The weight of the ball of the firework is 70 kilograms
Explodes at an altitude of 450 meters
② Shaku-dama firework
A round firework with a circumference of about 30 centimeters shell
The weight of the ball of the firework is 8.5 kilograms
Explodes at an altitude of 300 meters
Creates an illumination 280 meters in diameter
③ The 7-gou dama firework
A round firework with a circumference of about 20 centimeters shell
The weight of the ball of the firework is 3 kilograms
Explodes at an altitude of 250 meters
Creates an illumination 200 meters in diameter
④ The 5-gou dama firework
A round firework with a circumference of about 14.4 centimeters shell
The weight of the ball of the firework is 1.3 kilograms
Explodes at an altitude of 200 meters
Creates an illumination 150 meters in diameter
⑤ The 4-gou dama firework
A round firework with a circumference of about 11.5 centimeters shell
The weight of the ball of the firework is 0.5 kilograms
Explodes at an altitude of 150 meters in diameter
Creates an illumination 120 meters in diameter
⑥ The 3-gou dama Star Mine (star mine is a rapid-fire series of fireworks) firework
A round firework with a circumference of about 8.6 centimeters shell
The weight of the ball of the firework is 0.5 kilograms
Explodes at an altitude of 150 meters in diameter
Creates an illumination 120meters in diameter
⑦ Star Mine (a rapid-fire series of fireworks) firework
⑧ Niagara Falls firework (fireworks which look like the Niagara Falls)
It’s time to enjoy fireworks, festival foods, music, dance, etc.
One of the highlights of summer in Fukui is Fukui Phoenix Festival.
The festival will be held from August 3rd to August 5th, 2018.
Many events will be held in the 3 days at many places in the center of Fukui City.
Since Emperor Akihito is planning to abdicate the Chrysanthemum Throne next year,
it’s the last Fukui Phoenix Festival we will have in Heisei Period
(Heisei Period is 1/8/1989- will likely end on 4/30-2019).
The first Phoenix Festival was conducted in the 21st year of Showa Period (1946) by
Tasaburo Kumagai, the 10th mayor of Fukui City.
He had 2 purposes of having the festival. First, they wanted to pray for the war dead.
Second, they wanted to encourage and cheer up the citizen of Fukui City
to reconstruct the city.
From Fukui Phenix Fireworks, July 2015
The venue of the fireworks festival is by Asuwa river bank upper Kida Bridge and
it is about a 10-minute walk from JR Fukui station.
If the streets become crowded with many festival-goers which happens every year,
it might take longer than 10minutes, though.
During the Fukui Phoenix Festival, there will be many festival food stands and the game stands such as yo-yo scooping, super-ball scooping, goldfish scooping, cork shooting, etc.
All these stands will be opened around Fukui station as well, so before going to see the fireworks, they can enjoy them.
The firework festival starts at 19:30, and about 10,000 giant fireworks are shot in an hour expressing 6 scenes such as grace, popping, colorful, happiness, bonding, brilliant with music.
I’m sure you can enjoy it.
When you have a chance to come to Fukui during summer, how about experiencing
This video is a digest version of the 12th Echizen City Summer Festival Fireworks Display which was held on August 15th, 2017. Please enjoy.
＊The ranking result of the Echizen City Summer Festival Fireworks Display is from 2017.
There are several amazing traditional events during summer time in Japan such as summer festivals, fireworks display, traditional dance parties, etc.
Today, I would like to introduce one of the Japanese traditional summer events, fireworks display. Let’s see the top 3 firework displays in Fukui Prefecture for this year (2018).
＊The ranking result is based on the numbers of searches done for each fireworks display in the website,Fireworks display (*only available in Japanese) from May 1st~December 31st, 2017.
1 Wakasa Oi no Super Ogase (Ogase=big torch)
Scheduled date and time: August 4th, 2018, from 19:00~21:00
*From 12:00, there will be performances of characters (characters of animated cartoons on TV, or those of squadron series, etc) held, various local food stands will be scattered throughout in the venue.
3 reasons why you should visit Wakasa Oi no Super Ogase (Ogase=big torch)
1. It is very impressive to see about 70 young men carry, push and turn the burning Ogase (big torch) around by the ocean. The big torch is 20 meters (about 66 feet) tall and 1 ton. As the fire on the big torch begins to fade, they push it into the ocean.
2. In only 30 minutes without any break, they shoot 10,000 fireworks on the sea and around it.
3. The performance of “drum of flame” (Oi blaze) is powerful and entertaining.
2 Toro nagashi (sending off the spirits of the dead on lanterns floated on the waters of sea) and Tsuruga fireworks display
Scheduled date and time: August 16th, 2018, from 19:30~21:30
＊Toro nagashi starts from 18：30～
Venue: The beach by Kehi no Matsubara (Pine Tree Park)
Location: Matsushima-cho, Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture
*By bus: Take the Matsubara-sen line Commnunity Bus from JR Tsuruga Station to Kehi no Matsubara Bus Stop (Approximately 12 minutes)
*By bus: Take the Tsuruga Excursion Line Bus from JR Tsuruga Station to Matsubara Coast Bus Stop (Approximately 15 minutes)
4 reasons why you should visit Echizen City Summer Festival Fireworks Display
1. The location of the fireworks display is great. Since the location to see the fireworks is extended over a large area, so the festival-goers can see it from several places such as the riverside, bridges, streets, mountains, etc.
2. Because there are several places to see the fireworks from, the crowd does not concentrate in one or two places. Overcrowding isn’t a problem, they can enjoy it comfortably.
3. The venue and the places around it are very close to Takefu train stations (there are JR Takefu station and Echizen Railway’s Echizen Takefu station.)
4. The venue is surrounded by mountains so the sounds of the fireworks echoes in Echizen City. The sound of the Echizen fireworks is one of the highlights.
I saw Echizen City Summer Festival Fireworks Display last year, so I would like to see a different one this year. I am planning to go see it in Wakasa or Tsuruga.
If you have a chance to visit Fukui during summer time, how about enjoying the fireworks display as well?
*This video is a digest version of the 12th Echizen City Summer Festival Fireworks Display which was held on August 15th, 2017. Please enjoy.
In Fukui Prefecture, there are many popular fireworks displays including Echizen City Summer Festival Fireworks Display. The three other most famous ones beside the Echizen one are Tsuruga fireworks and Mikuni fireworks displays which are held on the sea, and Phoenix fireworks display which is held by a river in the center of Fukui City.
Out of all the fireworks displays in Fukui, I personally thought that Tsuruga fireworks display is the most popular one in Fukui because they shoot 13,000 fireworks on the sea and they also have Toro nagashi (sending off the spirits of the dead on lanterns floated on the waters of the sea). However, according to Fireworks display 2017 (*only available in Japanese), Echizen City Summer Festival Fireworks Display is the most popular one in Fukui.
Source: The photograph of Echizen City Summer Festival Fireworks Display from the website of “Fireworks display 2017”.
I was surprised at the fact that Echizen City Summer Festival Fireworks Display is the most popular one, not Tsuruga one. When I went view the Echizen fireworks I realized some reasons why the Echizen one is so popular.
Firstly, the location of the fireworks display is great. The location to view it is extended over a large area. Therefore, the festival-goers can enjoy viewing the fireworks not only at the venue but also at several places such as the riverside, bridges, streets and mountains around the venue.
Even if festival-goers don’t view it at the venue, the fireworks look beautiful.
Secondly, since festival-goers can view the fireworks from anywhere in this spacious venue, overcrowding isn't a problem.
And as a result, it does not get crowded as much as it does at venues of Tsuruga, Mikuni and/or Phoenix fireworks displays. Therefore, festival goers can enjoy it comfortably as well.
Of course, at the venue and the area right around it gets extremely crowded though.
Thirdly, the loop street is close to the Takefu train station, so it’s very convenient for the festival goers to take trains as well. Also, next to the train station, there is a supermarket so they can buy some snacks and drinks as well.
Lastly, one of the friends of mine from Echizen City said that Echizen City Summer Festival Fireworks Display is held in the area where is surrounded by mountains so the sounds of the fireworks echoes in Echizen City. Therefore, the sound of the Echizen fireworks is one of the highlights.
When I went viewing the Echizen fireworks, friends of mine found a great space for all of us. It was on the famous loop street called Nishiki Machi overhead crossing near the train station in the middle of Echizen City. We sat comfortably, enjoy our snacks that we bought at the supermarket near the Takefu train station and viewed the fireworks without any problem. Where we sat was very close to the venue (riverside) so the fireworks looked large and powerful.
Please enjoy viewing the Echizen City Summer Festival Fireworks Display if you have a chance.
