August 15, 2024 Lake Suwa Festival Lake Fireworks On this day, Suwa City held its major event, the Lake Suwa Festival Lake Fireworks. Despite the emergency Nankai Trough earthquake bulletin warning of a major quake, the event went ahead thanks to the many precautions taken by the Lake Suwa Festival Executive Committee. This fireworks festival began on August 15, 1949, when citizens, amid the postwar confusion, wanted to hold a summer evening fireworks display at Lake Suwa to bring hope and help the city recover as quickly as possible. This year marks the 76th edition. It is a very historic fireworks festival. 🎇 At Suwa, the fireworks are launched from an island called Hatsu-shima, and the show is a true lake display. Because Lake Suwa sits at the center of the Suwa Basin and is surrounded by mountains on all sides, the sound of the bursting fireworks echoes off the lake and surrounding peaks, turning the landscape into a gigantic natural speaker that vibrates to your very core. The result is an overwhelmingly powerful fireworks experience. This is a rare geographic setting for a fireworks festival. The event website even describes the sound as “Don! Zun! Ban!” and that onomatopoeia is the most accurate description. A local Lake Suwa fireworks quirk is that when a very large firework explodes, the volume and shock often trigger car security buzzers. Locals just laugh and say, “Again, huh?” On the day, it rained twice in the afternoon, but the rain stopped before the opening and we enjoyed a beautiful fireworks display. Before guests left, many gave us warm words like “Thank you!” and “Good job!”—those kind messages blew away the day’s fatigue. Thank you very much! We look forward to seeing you next year, so please come and join us!!! ※ Filming assistance: Lake Suwa Festival Executive Committee August 15, 2024 At Lake Suwa 76th Lake Suwa Fireworks Festival!!! This fireworks festival began in 1949. After World War II, many Japanese people were worn out by the war and needed hope and a way to recover. The festival started for that reason and has been held since 1949. This year was the 76th. How amazing it is!!! Recently, however, we received Nankai Trough earthquake warnings, so we had to be extremely careful about safety. Our fireworks are launched from the lake. The unique feature of Lake Suwa is that the lake is surrounded by mountains. That is the key. Because of this, the sound of the fireworks is exceptionally loud—you feel it in your whole body. If you compare fireworks of the same size at Lake Suwa and elsewhere, you will say the Lake Suwa fireworks are much louder. I promise!!! The surrounding landscape acts like a huge speaker, so you can both hear and feel the sound intensely. This phenomenon is unique to Lake Suwa and is truly exceptional. The morning was sunny, but it rained twice in the afternoon. Just before the festival, the weather cleared and we were able to hold a wonderful event. Thank you so much!!! There are no same-day tickets, so please buy advance tickets online before coming to Suwa next year. We will be waiting for you!!!