2000-dollar firework-viewing seats look like everyone’s first night in Minecraft, resulting in zero tickets sold 

A Japanese firework festival’s failed attempt to create luxury viewing seats for the event has recently gone viral, with users comparing the set-up with Minecraft, more specifically how one’s accommodations tend to look right at the start of the game. 

Firework festivals are big in Japan, with numerous events being held throughout the nation during the Summer. Famous festivals are known to gather huge crowds of spectators, ranging anywhere from 300k to 600k visitors, and major festivals such as the Tokyo Sumidagawa Festival regularly attract over 900k viewers. 

While some festivals still have spectators gather for free and bring their own camping chairs and picnic mats to enjoy the event, some of the more popular ones have naturally taken to numbering and selling seats, which helps with crowd control and brings in more revenue. Depending on the festival, entry/seat prices can range between $3.5 to $3000, but according to Maidona News, one festival organizer recently attempted to take things up a notch by introducing a premium bed-seat for a hefty sum of 300,000 yen (about $2045). The organizers prepared five of these two-person seats, hoping to go viral with them and attract couples, but unfortunately failed to sell any of the “luxury” seats.  

In an ironic twist of fate, they did manage to go viral, albeit not in the way they intended. Upon seeing the organizers’ lamentful report of not being able to sell a single ticket, users were curious as to what the 2k dollar seats were like (likely imagining a stylish glamping tent or whatnot), only to find out that they consisted of a single, rather narrow bed just plopped onto the open field. The bare-bones arrangement reminded everyone of something they would see in an early stage of Minecraft, and Minecraft references ensued one after the other. 

Users entertained the thought of a “You may not rest now, there are monsters nearby” message appearing as you approach your luxury seat, providing safety tips such as “at least light a torch” or “you have to enclose the perimeter or cover up with dirt and wood.” Though envisioned to be stylish and trendy, the set up ended up making people question if the fireworks festival would perhaps be lighting up TNT instead.