Odaiba Fireworks

A few weeks I was at Odaiba on during their fireworks season and managed to be on time to take a few photos. I am really not good at this sort of photography – some day I would like to team up with someone very good and get some proper instruction! These are all taken free hand with hands so cold that I could hardly control the shaking, it was the steadiest I could get, thank God for heavy cameras! If you are in Tokyo and want to see proper fireworks keep an eye out for the surprisingly regular Odaiba Fireworks!

Obaiba Winter Fireworks

Winter fireworks festivals are not very common in Japan but throughout November and December there has been mini-festivals every Saturday evening in Tokyo’s oceanfront Odaiba district and I thought I should go see the last one for the year. I am terrible at taking photos of fireworks, I have absolutely no idea how other photographers do it. Maybe some of my readers can give me a few hints? The only thing I have figured out is that you are supposed to use a tripod. I own one but I haven’t touched it in 5-6 years. The fireworks festival was a great excuse to go out and the the Rainbow bridge in all its colorful glory once again. I was going to shoot from the bridge initially but the bridge closes for foot-traffic at 1800 in winter. Just a few days left of this year now, better make the best of them!

Tokyo Gaien Fireworks Festival Policeman

Summer in Japan means huge fireworks festival. Most of them are held over rivers or near the ocean but there is one major festival held in the middle of the city every year, the Gaien Hanabi Taikai. I was near the arena where the festival takes place last night and passed huge crowds all looking upwards and taking pictures of the magnificent fireworks, so I ducked down and got this picture of a lone policeman on traffic duty just near the Gaienmae subway station. If you are near Tokyo tonight and like fireworks, don’t miss the biggest one of the year (I think), happening later tonight in Odaiba/Tokyo Bay.