I went to the “Yume HANABI” fireworks festival in Fukuoka Prefecture.

This summer, my girlfriend and I attended the “Yume HANABI 2024” fireworks festival held in Ogori City, Fukuoka Prefecture. I’d like to share our experience and offer some tips for those considering attending next year.

Yume HANABI 2024 (Ogori City, Fukuoka Prefecture)

Name	Yume HANABI 2024
Launch site	Homan River in front of Ogori Sports Park, Oho, Ogori City, Fukuoka Prefecture.
Map
Launch Date and Time	August 10, 2024 (Saturday) from 20:00 to 21:00
Number of Launches	About 8,000 fireworks
Access	[Train] A 30-minute walk from Nishitetsu Ogori Station on the Nishitetsu Tenjin Omuta Line. A 20-minute walk from Oita-i Station on the Amagi Railway. Nishitetsu Ōho Station is very crowded. Please use Nishitetsu “Ogori Station” or Amagi Railway “Ōita-i Station”.

Access and Directions

We drove from Fukuoka City towards Ogori. The area around Ogori Sports Park, the venue, is closed to vehicle traffic and becomes pedestrian-only, attracting large crowds. Therefore, it’s recommended to park your car near Kiyama Station, a few stations away from the venue, and use the Amagi Railway to travel from Kiyama Station to Ōita-i Station.

There are municipal parking lots and coin-operated parking near Kiyama Station. We arrived around 18:30 at Kiyama Station this time, but the municipal parking was full, and we were lucky to find just one spot available at the coin parking. I recommend that you arrive a bit earlier.

Kiyama Station is served by JR and the Amagi Railway. The platform nearest to the entrance is for JR, and the furthest one is for the Amagi Railway. During the festival, Amagi Railway staff were selling tickets at a temporary booth, which was very helpful as they also provided information about train times for the return journey. Since it gets crowded on the way back, it’s a good idea to buy round-trip tickets to Ōita-i Station in advance.

Name	Kiyama Station
Address	Kokura, Kiyama Town, Miyaki District, Saga Prefecture
Map
Lines served	・JR ・Amagi Railway (starting station)
Nearby Parking	・Kiyama Town Municipal Parking in front of Kiyama Station ・JQ Parks Kiyama Station Front

From Ōita-i Station, you’ll walk to the venue. It’s a good idea to follow the crowd heading to the event. Be prepared for a bit of a trek—it will take over 20 minutes to walk there, so brace yourself!

As you walk along the rice paddy path, you’ll see the sports park where the event is held and the nearby shopping center “Aeon Ogori” in the distance, making the location very easy to identify.

Features of this fireworks festival

The launch area for the fireworks is mostly surrounded by rice paddies with no large buildings, allowing a clear view of the fireworks from any spot. The audience isn’t as large as at other major fireworks festivals, making it appealing to watch 8,000 fireworks in a grand panorama. The venue’s sports park is spacious enough to enjoy the fireworks comfortably, but note that reserving spots is prohibited. At the start of the fireworks, everyone joins in a countdown, creating a sense of unity.

Viewing spot

①Ogori City Sports Park
This is the main venue and highly recommended. Although it gets crowded, there was still plenty of space, and seats were not fully occupied. Inside the venue, there are over 100 food stalls, and toilets are available at various locations. The main viewing spots are the athletics stadium and the baseball field; this time, we watched from the baseball field.We sat on the right stand side, which faced directly towards the fireworks, making it easy to watch. It was a good spot because the toilets were nearby, and we could watch comfortably seated.

Be cautious if choosing seats on the left stand side, as the fireworks launch will be behind you. The athletics stadium also seems like a good option, where you can spread out a leisure sheet and sit comfortably to watch.

②Aeon Ogori’s rooftop parking lot (a hidden viewing spot)
Located next to Ogori City Sports Park and close to the launch site, you can clearly see the fireworks from Aeon Ogori’s rooftop parking lot. You can also buy food and drinks at Aeon, and typically there are food trucks on the rooftop, allowing you to enjoy a meal while watching the fireworks. Toilets are available inside Aeon for convenience. However, keep in mind that this is a hidden spot. Parking at Aeon for the purpose of watching the fireworks is prohibited, so please be aware.

Food and Vendor Information

There were over 100 food stalls, but honestly, it was too crowded to walk around. Plus, there were lines in front of each stall, making it hard to buy even one item. It’s best to buy drinks and food in advance from another place. I tried to go to the stalls for food, but walking through the crowd was very difficult. Also, I was surprised to hear someone in the crowd saying they had their wallet stolen. Please be careful!

The scene on the way back

After the fireworks ended, everyone started heading home at once, causing traffic jams on the surrounding roads. We also walked to Ōita-i Station　right after the fireworks ended at 9 PM, and the station was very crowded. We managed to catch the 10:13 PM train. Although it was busy, the station staff managed traffic well, so it was safe. After arriving at Kiyama Station, we switched to a car and returned to Fukuoka City.

On the way back, we stopped at a hot spring facility to wash off the sweat and refresh ourselves. It’s open until 3 AM, so we could take our time. I recommend it to everyone!

Name	Fuku no Yu, Kasuga Branch
Address	1-147 Shimoshirouzu Minami 1-chome, Kasuga City, Fukuoka Prefecture
Map
Business Ours	9:00 AM to 3:00 AM the next day (Last admission at 2:30 AM / Last bath entry at 2:50 AM)
Parking	Parking available for 180 vehicles

Summary

The Yume HANABI fireworks festival in Ogori City, Fukuoka, was truly a wonderful event. It’s especially recommended for couples and families. Like us, if you plan a little ahead, you can enjoy it comfortably. I highly recommend everyone to experience this fantastic fireworks festival!