Yesterday we went to Otsu to view a fireworks show. Otsu is a city on the other side of the mountains from Kyoto, and is beautifully located next to a huge lake (the biggest in Japan). Every year there is a fantastic fireworks show above this lake, and this time we went to see it!

300.000 people came to the show, and so the trains to Otsu were PACKED with people (I really couldn’t move!). After everyone gathered on a big field in front of the lake, the show started with a bang!

It was absolutely AMAZING!! The theme of the show was the seasons, the spring section had for instance fireworks in the shape of flowers, and the winter theme was all blue and starry. They even had fireworks in the shape of octopusses, cats, pigs and apples!  The fireworks were huge, filling up the entire sky. The sound was extremely loud, you could feel it in your chest and it echoed on the mountains surrounding the lake. Car alarms went of because of the pressure.

After an hour, the show ended with more fireworks than I’ve ever seen in my life, and the 300.000 people all walked back to the station…. We stood in line for almost two hours before catching a packed train back to Kyoto, but wow this was fun!

I made some movies of the fireworks with my camera, please ignore my voice (wooow…wooooooow…woooooooow :p) But listen to the enthusiastic reactions of the crowd, it was really atmospheric!