Fireworks festivals in Japan dim their lights amid financial woes

Sell tickets. In August and November, I attended fireworks festivals that sold tickets priced between 3,000 and 7,000 each. Both festivals were very full, but not uncomfortably full, and provided a pleasant, safe experience for the attendees.

If the fireworks festival is in an area that would not have enough public support of ticket sales or enough in allocated tax revenue, perhaps the festival should not be held. Japan has many fireworks festivals, and another one somewhat nearby can usually be found by most residents.

Sell tickets

It's exactly what they did in Otsu this year, increasing the area of seating that is subject to ticket pricing, cordoning it off and erecting high barriers (I wonder how much THAT cost) so if one didn't pay, one couldn't see, even from one's apartment overlooking the event.

What a great way to disconnect the community and promote exclusivity. The locals were not very happy all and and there are talks of boycottiing the event next year.

Fireworks displays should be for public viewing. And we DON"T want, money wasted on barriers, cones, or people armed with megaphones blasting our eardrums with useless directons /rules that nobody listens to anyway.

I'm over fireworks. Cancel the lot.

LoVe firework displays. Hell yes!

"We aim not only to continue this cherished event but also to showcase (this) Japanese tradition to foreign tourists who flock to the festival annually," a spokesman said.

Can't they put them forward for world heritage listing? MIght attract even more people.

events are increasingly difficult to hold due to a decrease in government subsidies

Geez Louise, the government is subsidizing this too?

Fireworks are terrible for the environment.

Having worked at Disneyland, I've seen enough displays for my lifetime. I get the idea of dressing in yukata and enjoying an evening out, but there must be a much more sustainable way to do that.

"Setting off 1,500 fireworks in just 30 minutes would cost over 5 million yen ($33,000),"

5M yen only? That's surprisingly cheap.

Previously, Kobe had about 100,000 fireworks which cost ¥10 million. Last 60 minutes. The private business also pays.

Perhaps the Japanese government should stop sending billions of yen as aid to a war they have nothing to do with and give it to the people of Japan who's taxes fund that money they are giving away.

where are all the part time ecologists ?

fireworks are noice, light and smoke and chemical polluting events.

they are costly, boring and repetitive

@tora

It's exactly what they did in Otsu this year, increasing the area of seating that is subject to ticket pricing. The locals were not very happy all.

There are three choices: (1) Cancel the event, (2) Sell tickets, or (3) Allocate more tax revenue to fireworks.

Your choice, #3 — i.e., spending tens of millions of additional yen on fireworks — seems rather foolish.

The first two choices are the only prudent options.

I go because I think I should go nit because I enjoy them.

Yes, social pressure.

The whole paid seating thing stinks. The whole purpose of these festtivals, especially the more local fireworks shows, is to bring the community and the surrounding ones together for a communal celebration.

Cordoning off much needed space for only those with money is a slap in the face to all the kids, many who can't afford these prices. Kids and teenagers often go to these events together and they make for some of the most memorable and fun times of their youth.

Also, think of the families that have kids. Imagine having to pay 5,000 yen each for a family of four. 20,000 yen just to watch fireworks that used to be free for all.