Illuminating the night sky with Onagawa’s history and future at the 59th Onagawa Minato Festival celebrating the town’s centennial.
REDCLIFF to Host Special Drone Light Show for Onagawa Town’s 100th Anniversary at the 59th Onagawa Minato Festival — Reviving the Iconic Pre-Disaster “Niagara” Fireworks in the Night Sky on July 26, 2026 —
REDCLIFF Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Komei Sasaki; hereinafter “REDCLIFF”), a company specializing in the planning and operation of drone shows, will manage a drone light show at the “59th Onagawa Minato Festival celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Municipal Organization” (Organized by the Onagawa Minato Festival Association; Co-organized by Onagawa Town) in Onagawa Town, Miyagi Prefecture, on Sunday, July 26, 2026.
To mark the town’s centennial milestone this year, the drone show will be presented in two distinct parts as a special anniversary feature. In Part 2, REDCLIFF will use drones to recreate the town’s iconic marine “Niagara” fireworks—a beloved grand finale of the Onagawa Minato Festival prior to the Great East Japan Earthquake—bringing this cherished tradition back to life in the night sky.
Drone Show Depicting Onagawa’s Journey and the Next 100 Years
The drone show is designed in two parts around Onagawa Town’s official slogan: “START! ONAGAWA — Becoming the Town Where the Most ‘New Starts’ in the World are Born.”
Part 2: The Revival of the Legendary “Niagara” FireworksPart 2 will deploy 200 drones to recreate the iconic marine “Niagara” fireworks—the cherished grand finale of the festival before the Great East Japan Earthquake. This special presentation will celebrate the town’s 100th anniversary with a truly unforgettable spectacle.
Part 1: A Journey of Recovery and New BeginningsFeaturing 500 drones, Part 1 will illuminate the night sky with motifs representing Onagawa’s rich nature, picturesque scenery, and beloved community symbols. The performance will depict the town’s history, its path of recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake, and its bold start into the next century.
Comment from Tetsuya Isobe, Secretariat of the Onagawa Minato Festival Association:
“The 59th Onagawa Minato Festival, held during this monumental 100th anniversary of our municipal organization, is a cherished event that has brightened Onagawa’s summers for generations. While we faced extended periods where the festival could not be held due to the Great East Japan Earthquake and the COVID-19 pandemic, we successfully brought it back in 2022 thanks to the generous support of so many people.
This year, we are recreating the iconic ‘Niagara’ fireworks finale—a tradition our residents have longed to see return—in the new form of a drone show. We are truly thrilled to see that unforgettable sight brought back to life in this innovative way.
To carry 100 years of gratitude forward into the next century, we warmly invite everyone to join us and experience the magic of the Onagawa Minato Festival in person.”
Comment from Toshiki Goto, Produce Team Manager, REDCLIFF Inc.:
“For this drone show, our goal was to create a performance worthy of such a historic 100th-anniversary milestone. We carefully incorporated Onagawa’s beloved landscapes and the rich history of the festival into the show’s design.
In particular, the ‘Niagara’ fireworks finale—which lit up the festival prior to the earthquake—remains an iconic memory deeply cherished by many. By translating that memory into modern drone technology, we hope to evoke fond nostalgia for local residents while offering first-time visitors a captivating taste of what makes Onagawa so unique.
We sincerely hope this drone show serves as an opportunity to reflect on Onagawa’s journey so far, while taking an inspiring step forward into the next 100 years.”
About the “59th Onagawa Minato Festival Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Municipal Organization”
The Onagawa Minato Festival is a signature summer tradition representing Onagawa Town. Marking its 100th anniversary of municipal organization this year, the festival expects to welcome approximately 15,000 visitors. The event will feature a diverse lineup of attractions, including roughly 4,000 rounds of marine fireworks, traditional oceanfront lion dances (kaijo shishimai), and various stage performances.
As a special featured highlights of this year’s festival, a total of 700 drones will take to the sky across the performance, honoring the region’s rich history and culture while celebrating the dawn of the next 100 years.
Official Website: https://onagawa-matsuri.jp/summer/
Event Overview
- Event Title: 59th Onagawa Minato Festival Drone Light Show (100th Anniversary of Municipal Organization)
- Date & Time: Sunday, July 26, 2026
- Part 1: Approx. 7:05 PM
- Part 2: Approx. 8:00 PM(Schedule subject to change)
- Venue: Around Onagawa Coastal Park (Kaigandori, Onagawa-machi, Oshika-gun, Miyagi)
- Admission: Free (No registration required)
- Drone Count: 700 drones in total across both performances
- Expected Attendance: Approx. 15,000 visitors
- Organizer: Onagawa Minato Festival Association
- Co-organizer: Onagawa Town
- Production & Operation: REDCLIFF Inc.
*Note: The drone show may be canceled, delayed, or altered due to inclement weather or safety conditions.
