Tamagawa River Fireworks 2010. A Lovely Hanabi Celebration With Friends

The Tamagawa River Fireworks 2010. A local tradition that's been happening for years.

It's a hanabi festival we've always wanted to go to but each year something else seems to have gotten in our way. This year we determined to change that score. Of course, it helps that we recently moved about 10 minutes away from where it all happens! Talk about being on location : )

The Tamagawa River fireworks 2010 were pretty amazing. Hopefully you can see that from the video. If you happen to be in Tokyo towards the end of August this festival is an annual event that happens on the 3rd or 4th Saturday of the month. Official dates are usually released around July time so be sure to check nearer the time. If you're signed up to the site as a member, we'll send out notifications nearer to the time. You can join us here.

When does it all get going? Do you need to book in advance?

One of the great things about the hanabi fireworks festivals that go on through July and August in Japan is that they're 100% free. With the average show having around 10,000 fireworks, or bang as it's known in the advertising blurb, how on earth can they afford to provide these displays for free? The answer is pretty simple. It's all company sponsored. Advertising on on a big bang scale ; ) Each company vies to provide the fireworks that get the most "oohs" and "aahs".

The Tamagawa River fireworks 2010 kicked off at 7pm and the majority of hanabi shows will start at the same time or at 7:30pm. Make sure to check so you don't miss the start of the festivities!

Who can go to a hanabi festival? Can anyone go?

Yes. Absolutely. At the Tamagawa River festival 2010 we saw people of all ages. In front of us were a young couple with their young baby. To our right was an elderly couple and behind us was a group of university students. If you are traveling with young kids the most important thing to realize is you'll need to keep your kids under close control. If they get away from you in the crowd this could be a really horrible situation.

The other thing to be aware of if you've got particularly young children is that these fireworks are loud. I've seen some young children getting very stressed by the noise. Our advice is to make sure you've an exit route in mind just in case you need to make a quick exit to calm your unhappy little one.

Want to know more about the Japanese Hanabi festivals and their traditions? Just follow the links below or try out a different section of the site :)

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