Tochigi City Watarase Balloon Race 2026

About this event

The "Tochigi City Watarase Balloon Race 2026" will be held, with colorful hot-air balloons taking flight into the sky over the vast Watarase Retarding Basin. Tochigi City's heart-shaped balloon "Heartland", as well as strawberry-shaped balloons "Red Berry" and "Heart Berry", will also make appearances. This race is held as the final round of the Hot Air Balloon Honda Grand Prix, where the overall champion is decided by the cumulative points from four competitions. As the closest Hot Air Balloon Honda Grand Prix event to the Tokyo metropolitan area, it unfolds against the backdrop of the Watarase Retarding Basin, an active hub for sky sports. Visitors can enjoy the winter scenery at Japan's largest retarding basin, and if weather conditions are favorable, witness the magical sight of colorful hot-air balloons floating in the morning sun and morning mist. Hot-air balloon competitions involve using winds from various directions to compete on how close pilots can get to the goal (target). The closer the marker dropped from the air is to the center of the target, the higher the score obtained. Competition flights are held once in the morning and once in the evening, and multiple task types may be combined in a single flight. Key tasks include Judge Declared Goal (JDG), Pilot Declared Goal (PDG), Minimum Distance (MDT), Fly-In (FIN), Fly-On (FON), and Elbow (ELB). On Saturday, December 12, the second day of the balloon race, the "Watarase Retarding Basin Festival 2026" and "Tochigi Organic Marche 2026" will be held concurrently. Tethered hot-air balloon boarding experiences (advance reservation required, fee applies) are also scheduled.

Venue

Fujioka Watarase Athletic Park

Aza Higashiharachi, Fujioka, Fujioka-machi, Tochigi, Tochigi 323-1102