planning Hanabi trip

Love Japanese fireworks and planning trip specially for it.
1. Tokyo Sumida river fireworks, is it on last Sat in July ? Where are the best places to view and we are prepared to pay although not from the water as wife gets seasick. Prefer places to view without meal but would consider with meal if both food and viewing spot (presume top floor of some hotel) is really top notch. For planning, can we book in advance and then arrive Tokyo on the day of the fireworks ?
2. Is the Tokyo Bay fireworks (2nd Sat in August ??) much smaller and less attractive to watch compared with 1. above ?
3. Nagaoka fireworks (Aug 2 + 3, 2015 ?), understand no need to see both nights, August 3 is the climax ? Where's best place to watch and can we still catch a train back to Tokyo afterwards or need to stay the night ?
4. Miyajima on Aug 11, 2015. Thought that would make a nice first time visit to Miyajima. Plan on staying the night on Miyajima, any suggestions ? What time is fireworks ? If we don't really want to walk out into the water to watch, where else should we watch from ? We will be renting a car, is there a car park at or very close to ferry where we can park overnight + how much ? Tel no. for the ferry right opposite Miyajima for our GPS navigation please as we will be driving straight from Hiroshima airport.
Many thanks.

You will be very fortunate to get accommodation on Miyajima for Aug 11th. I recommend trying to find something asap as rooms are booked up long in advance and because of demand, many rooms are only offered by a lottery system.

Booking now, thanks.

yamagata-hanabi good!

Yamagata fireworks if I am not mistaken is around August 23 which is too long for us to stay in Japan.We must leave right after the Miyajima fireworks.

I've only been to the Nagaoka fireworks on your list, so that's the only one I can comment on:

First, yes, no need to go two days. The second day is the main day, but they are both really similar. The first day will be slightly less crowded than the second, but remember that there are TONS and TONS of people, and that you will wait in line for everything, including getting out of the designated watching areas and onto the main road back to the station. Bathrooms, up to 1 hour. Food, up to 30 minutes. Trains, up to an hour.

BUY YOUR TICKET AHEAD OF TIME if you are even thinking about taking the train. But honestly, I don't think you'd make it. Last shinkansen is 9:58. Fireworks end at 9:15, and it takes maybe 25-30 minutes to get to the station. But that's without crowds. You could do it, but you'd have to run or leave early. I'd stay in the area, and book that now.

There are paid seating areas and free. If you're going for free, get there EARLY. I don't mean an hour or two... if you want a decent spot, I'm talking 3-5 hours early. People will already be there from that morning staking their spot with blue tarps. Anywhere along the river is good, but the paid seating is best. Sometimes you get a view blocked a bit by bridges.

I personally thought the fireworks were fantastic, but the show boring. Great bursts of fireworks in between LONG talk times of listing sponsors and announcements. If I had to give a "best of" list of fireworks in Japan, the show in Takasaki City is one of my favorites. It is unfortunately right during the Nagaoka ones.

Great suggestion scarreddragon, thanks.
1. I assume it be take place in 2015 on August 1 = Saturday.
2. I checked Takasaki City website below and it said 15,000 pcs of fireworks (1 day only), compared with 20,000 pcs for Nagaoka over 2 days so assume 10,000 pcs each day. So Takasaki seems to have more, the only question I have is that 2014 was their 100th anniversary and will they still have 15,000 pcs this year ?

http://www.visitgunma.jp/en/saijiki/summer.php#event_12

3. Takasaki is a much better location for us as we could drive from Tokyo and also try out rafting the rapids in Minakami.
4. The important thing is as you say, the quality of the fireworks is better and this seems to be true judging from what I can see on YouTube. So thanks again. Any advice for us such as where best to watch (paying or free area) ? Since we will probably arrive by car 2 to 3 hours before the start, maybe we should go for the paying area but where is that located ?
5. I estimate it would take around 30-40 mins from Takasaki to Minakami along the expressway so we could stay the night in Minakami.
6. Love Japanese peaches (in season at that time), and would love to visit a peach farm near our route (ie: Tokyo, Takasaki, Minakami, Tokyo) but it seems all peach farm info in Japanese.

It's always the first weekend of August, so yeah, 1st and 2nd this year. I *think* 15,000 is standard, but it usually depends on the yearly sponsors how many they have. I don't know if this is normal, but even the Japanese website hasn't been updated with 2015 information. It might be too early.

For the quality of fireworks, I want to give you my impression. The first time I saw Takasaki fireworks was my first few weeks in Japan. I though "wow, this must be the finale!" only for fireworks to resume a few seconds later. "Okay, THIS must be the finale!"... only for fireworks to resume a few seconds later. It was shocking to me how long they lasted, and they just kept coming. I feel that the actual individual fireworks you see in Nagaoka are often better... they have the REALLY BIG ones, and really beautiful, well thought out presentations... but it isn't a show. It's some fireworks, then stop. Some fireworks, then stop. Takasaki's is constantly going.

So I guess it's kinda your preference. Nagaoka's were honestly beautiful, and I think worth seeing, but Takasaki's are just this constant stream of them, and I prefer that style.

Okay, so seating. Check this link: http://www.takasaki-matsuri.jp/40/hanabitaikai.html for a decent map. I don't recommend area 2 or 3 unless your hotel is over there (and it probably wont be since the station is across the bridge and a bit of a walk). Getting out of those areas can be up to an hour of crowd. Stick to the station side, around 1, or pay for a seat (scroll to the second map, it's the orange area). It could be worth it since a) it's guaranteed, b) not THAT expensive, and c) often has private bathrooms only for the pay area. There's also a park right behind the road and area 1... it's a good place, but a slightly blocked view because of some buildings. Go for the river areas for maximum view. We watched from the bridge once (not supposed to but we stayed) and it was really great. They just don't allow you to sit down.

Minakami... yes, quite close by expressway. I recommend Canyons for a great rafting experience if you're looking into it.

Peaches aren't terribly famous in Gunma, but I searched and found Harada Farms (http://www.harada-nouen.com/mikaku/momo/index.html) 700 yen for one peach to eat there plus 2 to take home, or 1400 for picking. It looks like its directly on the way to Minakami too, right off the previous exit of Numata. http://www.rurubu.com/season/summer/mikaku/list.aspx?KenCD=10&kc=2

I don't think you're going to find much info in English... Gunma's a bit too off the tourist path. My Japanese is pretty poor, but you can ask me if you have any questions, and if I can't answer, there'll definitely be people on the forum who read much better than I do!

Wow, thanks a lot scarreddragon. I am clear now. Is there any way you could give me a tel no. for my GPS navigation to get me close to the paid area ie: (scroll to the second map, it's the orange area). I have driven before in Japan and for non-Japanese speaker, I know it will be very tough to find the paid area in a provincial town like Takasaki.
By the way did you attend the festival/parade around the same time and if so, was it like the Takasaki fireworks or like the Nagaoka fireworks, if you know what I mean ?
I am truly grateful for all your help scarreddragon.