The is held at the beginning of November every year in

Saga Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. Saga Prefecture has a population of 809,248 (1 August 2020) and has a geographic area of 2,440 km2 (942 sq mi). Saga Prefecture borders Fukuoka Prefecture to the northeast and Nagasak ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. In 2014 it took place between October 30 and November 3. The fiesta is held just outside Saga City, along the Kase River. It has grown from a gathering of 5 hot air balloons to a competition where over 3500 people volunteer, and has gained a reputation as one of the top ballooning competitions in the world. It is also a popular time for tourists as the

Karatsu Kunchi Karatsu Kunchi (唐津くんち; the suffix "kunchi" simply meaning festival) is a Japanese festival that takes place annually in the city of Karatsu, Saga Prefecture, on Japan's island of Kyūshū. About The festival, which begins on the eve ...

Festival is held at the same time in

Karatsu is a city located in Saga Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. Its name, formed from the Japanese word roots 唐 ''kara'' (China, or continental East Asia in general), and 津 ''tsu'' (port), signifies its historical importance as a ...

. Since 1980 the launch site has been visited by over 10 million spectators. For the duration of the event, a temporary JR station (

Balloon Saga Station is a railway station on the Nagasaki Main Line in Saga, Saga, Saga, Saga Prefecture, Japan, operated by Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu). It is a seasonal station and is only operational during the Saga International Balloon Fiesta (held aroun ...

) ferries passengers between Saga City and

Kubota Kubota machine is a Japanese multinational corporation based in Osaka. It was established in 1890. The corporation produces many products including tractors and other agricultural machinery, construction equipment, engines, vending machines, p ...

History

The fiesta started in 1978 in Amagi City,

Fukuoka Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Fukuoka Prefecture has a population of 5,109,323 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,986 Square kilometre, km2 (1,925 sq mi). Fukuoka Prefecture borders S ...

, as a smaller ballooning event, the ''Balloon Fiesta in Kyushu.'' In 1980 the Fiesta was moved to the outskirts of Saga City, where there is more room. In 1984 it became an international competition and was given its present name; in the same year the first Japanese National Hot Air Balloon Championship was held, and balloonists from all over Japan came to the grounds. Since 1984 there have been approximately 640 balloons from overseas participants (nearly 3000 crew and pilots). In 1990 the first Pacific Championship was held in Saga. Between 1990 and 1996 women from around the world gathered to participate in the Ladies World Cup. Saga was the first place to have a competition of this kind. Beginning in 1992 a category for special shaped balloons, called ''Balloon Fantasia'' was created. Also started at this time was the ''La Montgolfier Nocturne (The Night of Hot Air Balloons)''; tethered inflated balloons light their burners in a choreographed manner, illuminating their unique shapes. This is a highlight of the fiesta. In November 1997 the 13th Hot Air Balloon World Championships were again held in Saga. With numbers rarely seen outside of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, this event was attended by over 38 countries and territories. There were 112 balloons present for the World Championship and together with the balloons that were competing in the

Honda is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a product ...

Grand Prix ''Final Battle'', Balloon Fantasia, and official balloons there were 170 balloons flying through the skies of Saga. In 1997, special days during the Fiesta were established for people to experience the balloons. These include ''Heartful Day'', a day geared toward handicapped members of the community; and ''Kids Day'', a hot air balloon classroom for children. The fiesta was canceled for 2020, with the 2021 event taking place without spectators, and the 2022 event having spectators.

External links

*
Official website
* {{in lang, ja}
Official website
Saga (city) Festivals in Saga Prefecture Hot air balloon festivals Sports festivals in Japan

History

See also

External links