The Tokachi Balloon Festival, held over the flat agricultural plains of Tokachi in February, gathers competitive and recreational hot-air balloon pilots from across Japan and abroad for dawn mass ascents over a landscape carpeted in snow. The still, cold Tokachi air makes for ideal ballooning conditions, and the sight of brightly coloured envelopes inflating against a pastel winter sunrise is extraordinary. Tethered balloon rides are available for visitors, and competitive distance and accuracy events run across the multi-day programme. The festival is staged primarily in the Memuro and Obihiro areas.
- Type
- Festival
- Category
- Adventure
- Season
- Winter
- Month
- February
- Region
- Hokkaido
- Prefecture
- Hokkaido
- City
- Obihiro / Memuro
Highlights
- ◆Mass dawn ascent of colourful balloons over snowy Tokachi plains
- ◆Tethered balloon rides available for general visitors
- ◆Competitive distance and accuracy balloon events
- ◆Ideal flat calm cold-air conditions unique to Tokachi winter
- ◆Spectacular contrast of vivid balloon colours against white snowfields