Savvy Tokyo Fireworks Contest 2017: The Winners

And the prize goes to …

As we witness September come to an end, we look back at the memories of this summer: the sun, the beach, the heat and, of course, the fireworks all across Japan that are just such an indispensable summer experience in this country. Unfortunately, the weather was often bad on weekends — when most firework festivals usually take place — and we even saw a few major events get canceled due to storms and hails. Thankfully, however, we have those amazing photos and videos submitted to our Savvy Tokyo Fireworks Photo and Video Contest to remind us of the lights in the sky that warmed our hearts and had us stuck in crowds — but to no regrets!

A big thank you to everyone who contributed — via Instagram, Facebook or email! So here they are, our top three photos and videos. The lucky No.1 from each category (photos and videos) gets our prize of ¥10,000-worth of vouchers for a stay at one of our recommended hotels in Japan, plus a few extras.

And for those who didn’t win this time — stay tuned for more contests coming up very soon!!

Part I: Photos

Grand Prix: This Ultimate Completion  

The yukata, the couple, the food stall in the background… this photo perfectly captures the vibe of a typical Japanese fireworks festival. It just can’t get any better!

Caption: “Fireworks in the Air. The sounds of laughter and joy filled the air as many danced around the field to a nostalgic tune. A stone’s throw away, you could see the various stalls preparing all manners of snacks and drinks for everyone to enjoy. At the peak of the festival, hundreds of fireworks lit up the sky, adding the finishing touch to what makes summer festivals in Japan magical and perfect.”

Photo by: Instagram user @frameoftravel Photo taken at Camp Shimoshizu Bon Odori.

First Runner-Up: These Stunning Lights

This synchronization of three beautiful fireworks of all colors and kinds won us at a glance. We can only try to imagine watching it as we sit along the river and have a drink with a cool and lively gang.

Caption: “One more hanabi to keep forever in my heart”
Photo by: Instagram user @chkato Photo taken in Kisarazu, Chiba Prefecture

Second Runner-Up: This Over-The-Poll Excitement 

We’d never thought that fireworks and pole dancing would match this well, but — regardless of how this photo came together — we can’t help but giggle at the idea. If fireworks don’t make you jump up the pole out of excitement, we don’t know what else will. We’ll make sure to try this out next year!

Photo by: Cerre Dolby @cerreg Photo taken at the Star Island Hanabi, Odaiba Beach Park.

Part II: Videos

Grand Prix: The Hanabi Journey

This nostalgic compilation starts with a ride on the train and leads us through the entire hanabi experience: the food, the fun, the yukata, and the friends that you’d go along with. Kudos to putting this together! We enjoyed every second of it — especially the message in the end!

Video by: Cara Lam. Taken at the Nagaoka Hanabi (Aug 2nd) and Kashiwazaki Hanabi (Jul 26th), both taken place in Niigata Prefecture.

First Runner-Up: The Sound of Excitement  

One more hanabi to keep forever in my heart #instagramjapan #fujifilm #fujinon #photooftheday #instajapan #fujixseries #team_jp_ #igersjp #富士フイルム #fujifilmasia #phos_japan #fujifilm #fujifilmxseriesjapan #fujifilmxseries #fujifilm_xseries #ig_japan #pics_jp #everydayjapan #日本 #xf23 #gaijinpottravel #savvyfireworks2017

A post shared by Carlos Kato (@chkato) on Aug 17, 2017 at 2:10am PDT

You can’t help but feel excited over the amazing show of lights this video manages to capture, but the sound of people admiring the fireworks is even more impressive. It literally makes you smile as you hear them saying: “It’s the last one, watch, watch!!” followed by a child’s prolonged “woooow.” #Priceless.

Video by: Instagram user @chkato

Second Runner-up: That Post-Hanabi Feeling

When the fireworks is over and you wanna see more 😂😝🎆🎇 #savvyfireworks2017 #fireworks #lightningfan #花火 #ひかるうちわ #nagareyama #200817

A post shared by Shiry (@shiryshiny) on Aug 29, 2017 at 2:52am PDT

You know the feeling, right? When the last round of fireworks is over and the crowd starts heading back to the station, you take a moment to stop for a second and…wish it wasn’t really over. It pretty much summarizes the feelings of the millions of hanabi-goers. Us included.

Caption: “When the fireworks is over and you wanna see more” 😂😝🎆🎇
Video by: Instagram user @shiryshiny

Note: The person who submitted the No.1 winning photo and video will be contacted directly to be awarded their prize. If for any reason they are unable to claim their prize or do not respond to our email within two weeks, Savvy Tokyo reserves the right to award the prize to anyone else on this list.