Aside from the delicious saké and rice, a Japan Dreamscapes (JDS) Private Photo Workshop, when based in Niigata, has one of the most remarkable photo ops in all of Japan, and hundreds of thousands of Japanese people and international visitors come to Niigata Prefecture photographing Nagaoka’s Fireworks. The festival spans three days and uses over 20,000 fireworks as part of its grand display.
One interesting element is how much native Japanese culture surfaces as part of the firework presentation. While you photograph the glittering fireworks, you can see the national flower, the chrysanthemum recreated in the sparkling beauty of the Nagaoka Fireworks. Some of Japan’s spectacular waterfalls, volcanoes, and other native landscapes will also come alive in glimmering beauty. However, the piece de resistance of the Nagaoka Fireworks is the Phoenix Display. The Phoenix is over five minutes of non-stop fireworks set to Ayaka Hirahara’s song “Jupiter.”
Being one of the top three fireworks performances in Japan, Nagaoka is a must see for anyone interested in festival and firework photography. The night comes alive with the fireworks, and the JDS Photography Workshop Leader will use the years of experience in Niigata and in Japan to help you get to the best locations to enjoy the shutter chances the Nagaoka Fireworks Festival can provide for you.
A JDS photography tour leader will also introduce you the rest of the Nagaoka Festival. August 2nd and 3rd are for fireworks, but August 1st will be photos of the portable shrines, called mikoshi, traditional dance processions, and floating lanterns, called toro nagashi. Your JDS photo tour leader will help you navigate the city and be in the best locations to capture these attractions as part of your introduction to Nagaoka Fireworks and Niigata Prefecture!
Equidistant from Mt. Fuji and one hour from Tokyo, the city of Atami in Shizuoka Prefecture is coastal gem for winter time photo tours, and although fireworks are generally associated with summer, this is a fireworks festival you won’t want to miss! Two times in the month of December, Atami hosts a fireworks spectacular, and the topography of the city, being enclosed by mountain ranges on three sides, makes the fireworks resound as if you were sitting in a stadium enjoying an acoustically perfect performance.
However, beyond the sound, you can enjoy the unfettered intensity of the fireworks display. You may think that you can take a break during the firework show, but your JDS Photo Tour guide knows that in Atami city, the fireworks are non-stop until the finale, so be prepared to take shot after shot of the resplendent fireworks of all shapes and sizes! The Atami Fireworks Display culminates with what is referred to in English as the “Niagara Falls in the Sky.” You won’t have to imagine the beauty recreated in the sky of the amazing waterfalls, you can witness the fireworks and take pictures to commemorate the tour forever.
Your JDS Photo Workshop Guide will use his years of experience in Japan and in the areas around Shizuoka to help use the natural landscapes and seascapes to make your once in a lifetime photos even more spectacular. The time is now to book your tour, so contact us!