KUAS Drone Circle Officially Films the 72nd Kameoka Peace Festival Hozugawa River Fireworks Show

The 72nd Kameoka Peace Festival Hozugawa River Fireworks show was held on August 11, 2023. The KUAS Drone Circle took photos and videos of the fireworks display with a drone, in cooperation with the Kameoka City Commerce and Tourism Division. Approximately 80,000 participants were in attendance for the event, where about 10,000 fireworks were set off. The images recorded by the KUAS Drone Circle will be used as promotional materials for the event.

Leading up to the day of the fireworks show, in-depth meetings regarding the drone shooting were held between KUAS, Kameoka City’s Public Relations and Promotion Division and other relevant organizations. As a result, the shooting was conducted in a safe place where participants would not be disturbed. Many students from KUAS participated as volunteers and collected tableware discarded by the stalls and night shops at the venue.

Comments from Participating Students

– Suguru Abe, President of KUAS Drone Circle, Faculty of Humanities: I am grateful to be blessed with this precious opportunity to photograph the fireworks show with this circle, which was originally established as a place for exchange within the university. I hope this will lead to more vigorous activity and an increase in students participating in the Drone Circle. I would like to continue actively participating in local events when the opportunity arises.

– Arashi Kato, Faculty of Engineering: I am very glad to receive such a rare opportunity to shoot fireworks on our drone. I was able to shoot images that are difficult to capture from the ground, such as street lights and stalls. I monitored the drone and secured the surrounding area. I plan to try shooting using FPV drones in the future.

– Taichi Togari, Faculty of Engineering: I have not had a chance to fly a drone since obtaining my license, so I am very happy to be involved in Kameoka City’s fireworks festival in this way. In the future, I will practice more and shoot better images so that I can contribute to the community.

– Kaito Tosa, Faculty of Engineering: This time, I was able to use a drone to shoot from an angle that I normally would not be able to get and create a wonderful image that combines the fireworks with the night view of Kameoka. In the future, I will do my best to contribute to the development of the region through circle activities.

A Message to the Students from Mr. Tsutomu Maritani (Public Relations and Promotion Division, Kameoka City Mayor’s Office)

• “I would like to thank you for your cooperation in the night flight and special shooting of the fireworks. Though it was shot from a slightly distant place, I could tell that you put plenty of thought into the shoot and used the positioning to create a brilliant image. I look forward to your future endeavors to produce high-quality images with improved brightness, focus adjustment and 4K quality.”

• “In Kameoka City, drone shooting is in high demand as a tool for public relations, so I believe it will become essential to social networking sites and related media.”

(Open Innovation Center Kameoka/Research & Collaboration Center, Masamitsu Shibata)