2019/02/27
About 22,000 fireworks will go off, boom of fireworks and a beautiful spectacle never seems to end… Seeing the Tokyo Sky Tree(widely known TV broadcasting tower and landmark of Tokyo)lit up with fireworks all around is definitely an amazing sight.
Especially, this year. You got to visit sumidagawa fireworks as we hold 40th anniversary year and planed a special memorial event in Aasakusa!!
Although, I am not good at explaining things in English, but sitll, let me try to explain the scedule of this event in 2017 and which highlights including recomended view spots as well.
Why? The reason is very simple. I strongly recommend the good things of this annual summer festival and also want you to completely enjoy the memorial Sumidagawa fireworks at its very best while in Japan.
1 You never miss a schedule
Sumidagawa fireworks is an annual summer festival in Tokyo and its always tooks place in the third week of Saturday in July.
Date: Saturday,July 29th,(19:05-20:30)
Number of fireworks: 22,000 fireworks
2 Brief information of Venue, Access, Contact and so on.
Venue:
1st Venue：between Sakurabashi Bridge and Kototoibashi Bridge
2nd Venue： between Komagatabashi Bridge and Umayabashi Bridge
Number of fireworks launched: Approx. 22,000 will go off
Number of People visit last year: 950,000
Access: Only by Train
The nearest station:
①For the 1st Venue: Asakusa Station(Tobu Sky Tree Line, Tobu Isesaki Line, Toei Asakusa line and Ginza line)
②For the 2nd Venue: Kuramae Station (Toei Asakusa Line and Toei Oedo Line)
Attention: The place will be overcrowded and you may be stuck from the above station. I recomend you to take a walk to visit towards both Venue from the station underneath
ie.
①Minami-Senju Station JR East(2.0km to 1st Venue 24minutes of walk)
②Ueno Station JR East, Ginza line(2.4km to 2nd Venue 40minutes of walk)
③Kinshicho station JR East(2.5km to 2nd Venue 40minutes of walk)
Contact information:
Tel:03-5246-1111(planning committee of Simidagawa fireworks)
HP：http://sumidagawa-hanabi.com/
The place of Bath Room: Described in below but usually 93 site
Permanently Established: 39 site
Tentatively Established: 40 site
For the use of wheelchair: 14 site
3 Origin for Sumidagawa Fireworks
The Sumidagawa River Fireworks Festival is the largest fireworks display in Japan, viewed by about a million people every year.
It has as historical back ground(roots) dating back to 1733.The remembrance of our ancestors who were suffered from the starvaion of the massive pleagues arounded Edo Area(same as Tokyo Area in old period).
For nowadays, Sumidagawa fireworks seems to be the one of the biggest and the finnest event not only in Tokyo but whole among the nation.
4 Why we do have 2 Venue(fireworks place) to visit?
Good Question! This is a one of the Unique point of the Sumidagawa fireworks.
From the dating of Edo Era (Almost 300yrs ago…), Our fireworks have held a competition between two firework manufacturers as an traditional.
This tradion change a bit but still remains to keep style of competing each fireworks at the neigboring places, namely, 1st venue and 2nd venue.
Difference between the 1st venue and 2nd Venue?
Simple. Fireworks launched time is different.
First of all, Starting time has slight difference between 1st and 2nd Venue,
At 19:05, the 1st venue shoot off over 1000 fireworks and launched to create a harmony of colors and shapes around the area.
it expresses how several varieties of fireworks in 35 minutes,
Then, 25 minutes later, at the 2nd Venue, they launched fireworks at 19:30. as same as 1st venue, they shoot over 1000 fireworks but shoot off the same numbers just in 5 minutes.
That is a gorgeous ammount of the brast and spectacular!
You may say…I am quite interested in 2nd venue and I should go there then? Well, hasty conclusion, you might miss one point.
and what else? we do have a fire works competition as an anual program for the 1st venue. This is a unique point of the 1st Venue.
Starting from 19:40 firewoks competion tooks place at 1st venue. What is about competion? It is a competition between 10 fireworks manufacutures.
Sometimes they boost off the firework that displays unique structure opens up in the air.
Such as in 2014, they displayed Pokemon’s monster ball-like structure at the 1st venue.
Hence, 1st Venue’s highlight is Uniquness of the fireworks and vice versa, 2nd Venu’s highlight is Impacts of the fireworks.
Whether you have an opportunity to visit sumidagawa fireworks or not, I strongly reccomend to feel the emotional atomosphere of this special event.
Please, refer to the following video in YouTube which can best describe the elements of this event.
Perhaps you may be interested in sights which express our old fasioned(traditional) scene of our hometown.
As to fireworks itself, you may refer to video starting from 1:30
5 Off course there is an additional good point on 2nd Venue
2nd venue offer an attractive fun through extraordinary experiences. As seen in the video above, some may watch the fireworks not only seeing from our traditional houseboat but also from the the road by sitting directly.
6 Grand finale
at 20:25, both venues start off grand finale displays over 1000 fireworks and bring down the curtain at 20:30. This is all about the annual Sumidagawa fireworks.
7 How I found the best place to watch or less crowded place then.
I will introduce those spots in bellow. Please enjoy the fancy view of Tokyo Sumidagawa fireworks and make unforgetable experience while in Japan.
(quote:fireworks icon from youtodesign.com)
【Spot on 1st View】
①koto-toi-bashi(Koto-toi bridge) popluar 1st view spot through waling on the bridge
Origin of the word is “have converstation”. You can enjoy watching fireworks on the bridge having conversation with your significant other and/or nice friends.
One way direction is assigned (Sumida District to Taitou District) and this is an one popular spot to visit.
②Sumida Park: Light and Sound, the Impact of the launch is very special.
From this place, you could watch both 1st and 2nd venues’ fireworks clearly. Therefore, this sight is very poplular place and , you must be there by 7 am in the day.
You got to have the place on the west since we have capital freeway on the east side of the park and you may not see well the fireworks.
③under the elevating structure of the capital freeway:
Under spot of the capital free way is also the popular spot as well. Unlike the Sumida park, you could obtain the watching space slight lately.
To lay picnic groundsheet, you have to be there by 14:00. Otherwise, at 17:00, tons of people lay groundsheet all over the place and you would never be able
to secure viewing spot under the capital freeway. Also you have to be aware the direction of fireworks will be shoot off.
④Sakura-bashi Junior High school
Pretty near place of the venue but not many people know this site, you could watch both 1st and 2nd venues’ fireworks clearly but you got to be there by 13:00. You might be impressive of the impact as well.
⑤Shio-iri Park
Little distant place to view fireworks. You could bring your small children by sitting on gentle hill with lawn.
not the near place to watch but you could spend time with less crowded place.
⑥Ueno Park：Fireworks look smaller but nowbody knows this plce, you could find the place
From 5minutes walk from Ueno station. Up on the hill side, you could see a smaller fireworks. However, if you are the type of person that needs a lot of space, this may be a one good place to choose.
【Spot on 2nd View】
①Umaya-bashi(Umaya bridge)
You can enjoy watching fireworks on the bridge having conversation with your significant other and/or nice friends, this place is popular because you
could also see fireworks along with the Tokyo Sky Tree. Restricted in one way direction (Taito District to Sumida District)
②Kiyosumi-Road
Plese…Make yourself comfortable on the road, this plase offers an attractive fun through extraordinary experiences.
Off course, this is about the road and cars are running, untill app. 18:00 where to become a vehicle prohibited area at the day on fireworks.
③Oh Yokokawa Water Parks: Good place for new Daddy and mommy
located parallelly next to Sumida river, it has good place to view fireworks.
Side to side, the park has 1.8km for length, you could still find the place to view after 15:00.
You have to choose the open space field and therefore, please seek for the place in below 4 area, namely,Ibento field, Kenko field, Shibafu-field and Chibikko field.
④In front of Ryogoku Kokugikan(national sports arena)
Little distant area but still you could see a smaller fireworks with less crowded space.
5 As to Rest Room
For the fireworks, it is very important to acknowledge the place of rest room since every place gets really crowded.
Hope this information helps and you could enjoy the sumidaggawa fireworks this year.
