The Lowdown on Nishi Awa’s Fireworks

     Next, you should figure out how you’re going to get there. If you’re going by car, you will need to buy a ticket for a parking lot separate from your admission ticket. Parking ticket sales open on September 12 at 12:00pm, and when you buy them, you will have to choose which parking lot you want to use. There are multiple lots, and depending on the distance to the venue, you will have to ride a shuttle bus or walk the rest of the way. If you want to avoid the parking headache altogether, the JR train line can be used, with the closest station to the venue (approx. a 30-minute walk) being JR Eguchi Station. However, trains on the way home after the competition ends are very crowded, so keep that in mind when making your decision.

     On the day of, you’re going to want to head to the venue early. Guests can enter as early as 11 a.m., and there are various food trucks and booths set up to snack while you wait. Additionally, a free music festival is held at the venue, so you can even listen to live music before the fireworks start. Traffic gets worse the later in the evening it gets, so if you’re going by car it’s recommended that you arrive by around 2 p.m. (some of the parking lot options actually require that you are parked by 2 p.m., so make sure you know beforehand if this applies to you). This way, you have plenty of time to get to the venue, find some food, and set up your area before the show starts. Also, rest assured that there are plenty of toilets nearby on site.

     The next piece of advice I would give is to dress warm! Although temperatures in early November are still mild, it gets very cold after dark where the event takes place. As viewers will be sitting outside for at least a few hours after sunset, you will definitely need some winter gear. It doesn’t help that you’re merely sitting still, not moving your body to produce any warmth at all. Maybe I’m a little weak to the cold, but I’m not exaggerating when I say that I wore 4 layers, gloves, a scarf, long socks, and multiple blankets last year. You will be able to enjoy the fireworks much more if you’re not thinking about how freezing you are.

     Once the fireworks are over, the inevitable rush to get home begins. There’s not much to say here, other than be prepared to wait for quite a while, especially if you need to catch a shuttle bus back to your vehicle. If your parking lot is within a 30-minute walk from the venue, it’s going to be faster to just walk instead of waiting for a shuttle bus. Either way, it’s probably just best to accept you won’t be going anywhere fast.

     Overall, I hope you learned more about Tokushima’s one-of-a-kind Nishi Awa Fireworks Competition! It really can’t be overstated how beautiful the fireworks displays at this event are, especially when paired with music. This is only my opinion, but I think it is completely worth it to go, even with all the preparations needed. Have fun and stay warm at Nishi Awa no Hanabi 2026!