【佐賀バルーンフェスタ】日本最大の熱気球大会がすごすぎた【2025/一斉離陸/夜間係留】

【佐賀バルーンフェスタ】日本最大の熱気球大会がすごすぎた【2025/一斉離陸/夜間係留】

Good morning. I’m here at Hakata Station right now. It’s currently 4:30 in the morning. Super early. And the reason I’m up this early is— I’m heading to a once-a-year event in Saga Prefecture. The Saga International Balloon Fiesta. I’ve always wanted to go, so I’m really excited. Alright, time to hop on the first train and head for Saga—Balloon time. You can get to the venue from Hakata Station on a single limited express train. The destination is a temporary station used only during the fiesta. Balloon Saga Station. I’ve arrived at Balloon Saga Station. It’s only around 5 a.m., but there are already so many people here. The riverside area is already full of spectators. The sun is starting to rise, turning the sky red. The Saga Balloon Fiesta is held every autumn in Saga City— one of the largest hot-air balloon competitions in Asia. The venue is the riverside area of the Kase River in Saga City. As soon as you get off the train, the venue is right there, but I heard the view from across the river is beautiful, so I decided to head to the opposite bank first. As I walked, the sky gradually got brighter. There are even balloon-shaped toilets along the river. Crossing the Kase River now. It’s a bit cloudy, but— honestly, looking pretty good. The Kase River in the morning is already stunning. I’ve reached the opposite bank of the venue. There are so many photographers here. I’m not even sure where I should shoot from… Here’s the schedule for the day. I came on the very last day of the event. Balloon competitions are held twice a day—morning and afternoon. However, whether they’re held or not, and what type of competition runs, depends entirely on the wind conditions that day. There are two types of flights: the main “Pacific Cup,” and the more up-close “Fiesta Division.” There are many different competition formats, but they all basically involve getting as close as possible to a designated point. At the Balloon Museum in Saga City, you can learn more about how these competitions work and the history of balloons, so visiting there as well makes the event even more enjoyable. And first up is the “Fiesta Division.” They’re scheduled for a mass launch right in front of us from the launch area— but will it actually happen…? (Announcement) “The balloons will fly!” The announcement says they can fly safely, and the crowd is getting fired up. The balloons start puffing up on the launch site, and before you know it, they’re standing upright. Have a nice flight! Watching balloon after balloon drift into the sky— you can’t help but feel uplifted yourself. Once the Fiesta Division’s mass launch finishes, next up, from a bit farther away, the “Pacific Cup” balloons begin aiming for the target point at the venue. They slowly drift closer and closer. This balloon belongs to Yudai Fujita,
who achieved excellent results at the Japan Championship
and placed 2nd in the Pacific Cup. From the venue side, you can watch the pilots toss their markers up close. They’re so close! I don’t know how to describe it— it’s just overflowing with pure joy. This is insanely fun. It really puts you in a happy mood. For people living in Saga, this happens every year— it’s just part of everyday life. That in itself is amazing. I watched the morning competition flight from across the river. It was incredible. Totally worth waking up early. I’ve come back to the venue side now, and over here— there’s Balloon Fantasia. They have character-shaped balloons and all sorts of fun designs, so I’m going to go check that out. This is honestly just so fun. There are tons of people, but— you can see the balloons from anywhere. It’s really easy to enjoy. I’m having a great time. This is Balloon Fantasia. Colorful balloons shaped like animals and characters all gather together here— you can see them up close. Since I’m here, I’ll take a closer look. Tom. Cute. When the wind blows, they sway a lot, so keeping the balloons in place looks tough. You can get incredibly close to them. Seeing those massive balloons folded down small and loaded into a HiAce van— that was quite a surprising sight. The Honda bike show is starting. Featuring top-class rider Motoharu Honda
and super demonstrator Naoki Kobayashi. I just enjoyed the Honda bike show. The power and intensity were amazing. It’s just about noon right now. I want to head over to the food area, but I’m pretty sure it’s absolutely packed right now, so I’m going to go a bit later. It’s only just the end of the morning, but since I’ve been here since early, I’m definitely starting to feel a bit tired. Time for a break. Still, I’m glad the weather cleared up. Taking a break. The riverside along the Kase River feels amazing. It’s so comfortable I could honestly stay here forever. And right in front of me, from 3 p.m., they’re scheduled to hold the “Key Grab Race.” I honestly wouldn’t mind just staying here until then. I could wait here until three, but I’m not sure what to do. It’s 1 p.m. now, so I’ve got plenty of time to kill. Maybe I’ll go grab something to eat. Since I’ve got time anyway. I lay down for a bit, took a nap, and I’m feeling refreshed, so I’m going to go get some food. Feels like there are a lot of people eating curry. I’ve made it to the food area. There are so many people. When I came here in the morning it was still dark, so I couldn’t tell, but this is what it looks like. There are all kinds of stalls lined up. This is the venue map. There’s a lot going on. There are so many stalls as well. And this is the Balloon Mall. Inside the Balloon Mall, there’s the “Umakamon Market,” bringing together all of Saga’s local specialties. The atmosphere is super lively. Stalls line both sides of the tent, and there’s a dining space in the middle. They’re not just selling food, but also accessories and interior goods. They’re even selling shiratama manju, which I tried in Saga before. High-speed chikuwa spinning. It was so lively I actually felt a bit overwhelmed. There are seriously so many options I’ve started to have no idea what I even want to eat. After all that indecision, I followed the smell and bought some karaage fried chicken. They’d just finished frying it, so that’s perfect. The venue is really spacious, and there are a ton of stalls. You can pretty much find anything and eat anything. And out of all that, I still ended up choosing karaage. The time now is 2:17 p.m. From 2:30, they’ll decide whether to go ahead with the Key Grab Race. The briefing starts at 2:30. After that, we’ll know whether the balloons will fly this afternoon. Last year it rained, and apparently almost no balloons could fly. Compared to that, the weather this year is looking pretty good. People who couldn’t come last year are finally here after two years. Walking between the venue side and the opposite bank takes about 30 minutes, so you end up using quite a bit of energy. From kids to adults, people of all ages are here, and it really feels like a huge event for Saga. The Key Grab Race is officially on. But as you can see from those keys, it’s really windy. I’m a bit worried if this is going to be okay. It looks like the balloons will fly here from more than a kilometer away. And it’s a race to grab the keys hanging right in front of us. The wind has picked up, but the sun is peeking through too. For the last day, this is actually looking pretty good. However… The wind is getting pretty strong. I’ve been staring upwind, but no balloons are coming into view at all, and that goes on and on. Unfortunately, for the afternoon Key Grab Race, the balloons couldn’t make it here because of the wind. There’s still the Night Mooring event at the end, and I’m pretty sure that will happen, so I’m going to watch that and wrap up the day there. It’s 5 p.m. now, and the Night Mooring starts at 6:30. There’s still an hour and a half to go, and it’s really starting to get cold. So I’m going to grab something warm to eat and wait patiently. Since it’s freezing, I’m having meat udon. When it’s cold, nothing beats warm food. It looks like a lot of people stay just for the Night Mooring
or even come only for this part. And now, finally, we’ve reached the very last event of the festival—
the Night Mooring. The moment we’ve all been waiting for has arrived. A special, one-of-a-kind experience
that can only be felt here in Saga,
on the banks of the Kase River. A truly magical time. Night Mooring — La Mongolfière Nocturne 2025. Let’s all enjoy it together, right up to the final fireworks. Pilots, please greet everyone with your burners! I’d wanted to come here for so long, so I’m really glad I finally made it. I had an amazing time. I hope this video helps anyone planning to visit. Thanks so much for watching until the end.

今回は、佐賀県が誇る日本最大の熱気球大会、「佐賀インターナショナルバルーンフェスタ2025」へ行ってきました。空に無数のバルーンが浮かぶ光景は、まるで夢の世界のよう。
朝イチの一斉離陸から、夜の夜間係留まで、たっぷり楽しみました。また行きたい！

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Artlist（以下から2ヶ月分付与の特典をゲットできます。音楽良くておすすめ！）
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