OTSU, Japan - The abrupt cancellation of what was touted as a simultaneous fireworks festival in three cities facing Lake Biwa in western Japan has left both advance ticket purchasers and local municipalities baffled.
All three city governments have said they have nothing to do with the festival, which was, according to its unidentified organizer, due to feature over 10,000 fireworks on Aug. 22.
A cancellation notice posted on event's website over the weekend cited difficulties with preparations and organization as the reason.
After the city governments of Hikone, Nagahama and Takashima in Shiga Prefecture received a slew of inquiries from people seeking more details about the festival this month, they posted on their official websites that they were not involved.
Fireworks festivals are held in various parts of Japan at this time of year.
According to the organizer's website and other sources, the event schedule was announced in December. All viewing seats were reserved, with prices ranging from 6,000 yen ($38) to 18,000 yen.
The website does not provide the exact location of the organizing committee or contact information, saying, "We will refrain from responding to individual inquiries for the time being." The organizers would consult with legal experts over how to respond to ticketholders and those who had planned to set up food and other stalls, according to the website.
A person claiming to be an organizer visited each city office around December, revealing plans to hold a fireworks festival in the three cities. According to the city governments, they explained the necessary procedures to hold the event but did not receive an application afterward.
The prefectural government of Shiga also received a similar inquiry but has had no further contact since April.
