[Event Report] A 20-meter giant balloon (hot air balloon) appears in the Tokyo sky! 50 elementary school students rejoice at the 'flying experience' gifted by Saga City

On Wednesday, March 25, 2026, Saga City, Saga Prefecture, held a balloon experience event at Jiyu Gakuen (Higashikurume City, Tokyo) for approximately 50 children in Tokyo to share the charm of 'Saga City, the City of Balloons.' In addition to experiencing the inside of the balloon envelope, a new promotional video tied to the song 'with you,' written specifically for this project by the band HY, was unveiled. Through the music, the children were able to realize the 'importance of looking up at the sky.' A commemorative photo with about 50 children in Tokyo in front of 'HALO,' a new hot air balloon commissioned to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the city's founding.

◉ Thoughts from Saga Mayor Hidetaka Sakai

'Making time to look up at the sky a natural part of children's lives.' A message from the Mayor, reflecting on his 22 years of life in Tokyo. Through this balloon experience event at Jiyu Gakuen in Tokyo, we unveiled a new Saga City balloon promotional video featuring the song 'with you,' written by HY. When I lived in Tokyo, I realized that despite the many tall buildings, I was so busy that I only looked at my feet or screens, and I stopped looking up at the sky. The image that suddenly came to mind was the scenery of Saga, where over 100 balloons fill the clear autumn sky. Saga City is currently promoting the 'Making Flying Experiences Standard Project,' where every elementary school student in the city experiences a balloon ride before graduation. This fiscal year, we provided tethered flight experiences to 11,817 children across 40 schools. This morning, about 20 children experienced a tethered flight, and in the second half, they had time to touch the giant balloon envelope and go inside, feeling the hot air balloon with all five senses—from the texture to the echo of sounds. I hope this day serves as a trigger for them to look up at the sky and feel their hearts relax. And I hope that when people think of Saga City, they remember balloons. ◉ Greeting from Koichi Sarashina, Principal of Jiyu Gakuen