Nagaoka · 長岡市

When giant rockets explode over the Shinano River on the evenings of August 2 and 3, the thunder echoes back from the mountains – the Nagaoka Fireworks Festival is considered one of the three largest in Japan. A trip to Nagaoka combines this spectacle with rice wine, history, colorful carp and the distinctive cuisine of Niigata.

Fireworks with a Memory

The fireworks are more than a festival. During the night of August 2, 1945, an American air raid destroyed large parts of the city, and more than 1,400 people died. Since then, the rockets have commemorated the victims as well as the severe earthquakes that struck the region in 2004 and 2007. The highlights are the Phoenix fireworks, which spread across the sky for nearly two kilometers (1.2 miles) and are accompanied by music, and the enormous Shōsanshaku shells, whose bursts reach a diameter of several hundred meters. Accommodations are booked up long in advance at this time of year. The city's war museum documents the air raid and life in its aftermath.

Sights in Nagaoka

Nagaoka was the hometown of Yamamoto Isoroku, the admiral who planned the attack on Pearl Harbor and had himself warned against a war with the United States; a memorial museum and his birthplace tell his story. The new city hall, Aore Nagaoka, designed by Kengo Kuma with wooden panels and a covered plaza, is a gathering place in the city center. In the mountains of Yamakoshi, now part of the city, the breeding of nishikigoi – the colorful ornamental carp now traded worldwide – is said to have originated; in summer, traditional bull sumo matches are also held there, in which the animals test their strength without bloodshed. On the coast lies Teradomari, with its fish market street where freshly grilled skewers and crabs are sold.

Sake and Food in Nagaoka

Niigata is the prefecture with the most sake breweries in Japan, and more than a dozen of them operate in Nagaoka alone. Many offer tours and tastings, and in the Settaya district, several breweries stand side by side in old buildings. The local noodle specialty is shōga-shōyu ramen, ramen in soy broth with a strong ginger kick that warms you during the cold winters. There is also Koshihikari rice and hegi soba, buckwheat noodles made with seaweed and served in bite-sized portions on wooden trays. In the evening, locals gather in the izakaya around the train station and along Ōtedōri.

Nature and Gardens

Rice fields stretch to the horizon around Nagaoka, and in early summer the mountains are reflected in the flooded terraces of Yamakoshi. In the large Echigo Hillside Park in the south of the city, thousands of roses bloom in early summer and fall, and Nagaoka is also a traditional growing region for dahlias. Bike paths and green spaces along the banks of the Shinano invite you to take a stroll, and at the Yukiguni Botanical Garden you can get to know the flora of Japan's snow country.

Getting There and Best Time to Visit

On the Jōetsu Shinkansen, you can reach Nagaoka from Tokyo in about 90 minutes; from Niigata City it takes just under 25 minutes. Buses run to Teradomari and Yamakoshi. The best time to visit is early August for the fireworks, otherwise spring and fall, when the air is clear. In winter, Nagaoka gets heavy snowfall, and the streets are kept ice-free with sprinkler systems, a typical sight in the region.