Originally used to ward off evil spirits, fireworks form an integral part of the Japanese culture that is now enjoyed without any specific reason. Japanese people think of fireworks, or hanabi in Japanese, as the summer equivalent of watching sakura in spring. During the summer season, you can easily visit numerous fireworks festivals or hanabi around Japan. Almost every weekend fireworks shows are held throughout Japan, each of them more spectacular than the other. Some festivals attract millions of visitors with unique shows lasting for more than 90 minutes at one go!
Besides the beautiful fireworks, also a range of entertaining experiences can be enjoyed. You will see many people making it a full-day activity, wearing a traditional yukata, and eating typical festival snacks. Most firework festivals attract large crowds of visitors so arriving early is a good idea to claim a spot with a good view of the firework displays at night. While it is enjoyable to go to the more famous ones generally held in big cities like Tokyo and Osaka, visiting a small fireworks festival in more rural areas will also be an unforgettable memory. If you are visiting Japan in the summer, a visit to a firework show is a must-do, it is more than likely to exceed your expectations. Here is a list of the 10 best fireworks festivals taking place this summer in Japan!
A perfect opportunity to experience something really Japanese, don’t you think?
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- 1. Sumida River Fireworks Festival (隅田川花火大会)
- 2. Edogawa Fireworks Festival (江戸川区花火大会)
- 3. Naniwa Yodo River Fireworks Festival (なにわ淀川花火大会)
- 4. Kamakura Fireworks Festival (鎌倉花火大会)
- 5. Nagaoka Fireworks Festival (長岡花火大会)
- 6. Hida Takayama Fireworks Festival (飛騨高山花火大会)
- 7. Lake Suwa Fireworks Festival (諏訪湖祭湖上花火大会)
- 8. Biwako Fireworks Festival (琵琶湖花火大会)
- 9. Kyoto Geijutsu Fireworks Festival (京都芸術花火大会)
- 10. Toyota Oiden Festival (豊田おいでんまつり)
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1. Sumida River Fireworks Festival (隅田川花火大会)
Sumida River Fireworks Festival is one of the most popular fireworks festivals in Tokyo. The origin of the festival is said to date back to 1733 and it has been held regularly ever since. On the last Saturday of July the show kicks off at 7pm and the show lasts for a full 90 minutes! Start the day early with a visit to Tsukiji Market in the morning and make your way to the river bank early to find a good spot, because it gets really crowded. The Sumida fireworks attract each year around one million visitors! Some 20,000 colorful fireworks made by professional, skilled craftsmen, will light up the sky. Don’t miss the impressive view created by beautiful fireworks and iconic landmarks such as Tokyo Skytree along the Sumida River!
Date: July 27 (Sat), 2024
2. Edogawa Fireworks Festival (江戸川区花火大会)
Another popular fireworks festival in Tokyo is held on the riverbanks of Edogawa River running between the Edo ward in Tokyo and Ichikawa in Chiba. The Edogawa Fireworks Festival also attracts about one million visitors each year with about 14,000 fireworks with unique designs set off based on 8 different themes and background music. The opening of the festival starts with a stunning display of approximately 1,000 fireworks continuously set off in 5 seconds. The show will light up the Tokyo skyline for about about 75 minutes. The Edogawa Fireworks Festival happens every year on the first Saturday of August.
Date: August 24 (Sat), 2024
3. Naniwa Yodo River Fireworks Festival (なにわ淀川花火大会)
Yodo River is one of the well-known rivers in Osaka and on the second Saturday of August it hosts the Naniwa Yodo River Fireworks Festival. This fireworks festival in Osaka celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2018. Each year it offers fantastic views of the skyline beneath the fireworks display. It is run with the support of local volunteers as well as donations by local communities. You can reserve a private seat which usually costs around ¥2,500 to ¥9,000, to enjoy the great view of fireworks without being bothered by crowds. Highlights include the giant half underwater fireworks which set off on the surface of the water like a sparkling fan!
Date: August 3 (Sat), 2024
4. Kamakura Fireworks Festival (鎌倉花火大会)
Kamakura is a historic city in Kanagawa prefecture that is known as a perfect weekend destination from Tokyo. Every year in early July, it is home to the Kamakura Fireworks Festival. The event offers impressive fireworks displays on a scenic waterfront. It features both ordinary fireworks shot in the sky and underwater ones dropped under the water. Enjoy the breathtaking view created by a variety of colorful fireworks with different designs and sizes. It is a perfect option for those who prefer relatively small fireworks festivals or are looking to end their trip to historic spots with world-famous temples and shrines with a bang!
Date: July 17 (Wed), 2024
5. Nagaoka Fireworks Festival (長岡花火大会)
Niigata boasts Nagaoka Fireworks Festival, widely recognized as one of the three greatest fireworks festivals in Japan! In spite of the relatively remote and inconvenient location, around 1 million visitors make their way down to Nagaoka every year from August 1-3. An equal number of visitors to the major fireworks festivals in big cities like Tokyo and Osaka. Highlights of the Nagaoka Fireworks Festival are Phoenix, a huge, dazzling display of fireworks of 2 km in length, and the portable shrine float parades and traditional dances that happen around town during the day. The event was originally started in 1946, as a war-damaged reconstruction event to mourn the deceased of WWII.
Date: August 2 (Fri) – August 3 (Sat), 2024
6. Hida Takayama Fireworks Festival (飛騨高山花火大会)
If you are planning to visit the Hida Takayama area in late July during your trip to Japan, Hida Takayama Fireworks Festival is something to look out for. This relatively small festival welcomes everyone with a nostalgic, heart-warming atmosphere that makes visitors feel like they are back home. At Takayama Sky Park, a temporary platform is built from where fireworks are set off. Since the venue is in the center of the city and is close to the main tourist spots, you can explore popular tourist attractions during the day and easily get to the venue afterward! Enjoy the scenic view of traditional townscape and fireworks against a backdrop of surrounding mountains. From Hida Takayama you can also visit other traditional and cultural highlights nearby like Shirakawago and Kanazawa, a recommended weekend trip!
Date: Usually Early August
*We will update the dates for 2024 when it’s officially announced
7. Lake Suwa Fireworks Festival (諏訪湖祭湖上花火大会)
Lake Suwa (諏訪湖) is a rectangular-shaped lake located in the Kiso Mountains in Nagano, said to be the inspiration for the world-famous Japanese animation movie Your Name released in 2016. You can easily find the resemblance between the lake and some scenes in the movie. The Lake Suwa Fireworks Festival was originally started in 1949, aiming to encourage people to recover from the chaotic period of time after Japan was defeated in WWⅡ. The festival is held in mid-August each year and is known as one of the largest displays in Japan, with an incredible 40,000 fireworks going up in the air.
Niagara is one of the highlights of the festival referring to a colorful display of fireworks stretching 2km, which looks like the Niagara Falls created by light sparkles! The Kiss of Fire is another fascinating part of the show where underwater fireworks are shot close to the surface of the water. Only the upper half of them can be seen from the audience, which resembles huge colorful flowers blooming on the lake!
Date: August 15 (Thu), 2024
8. Biwako Fireworks Festival (琵琶湖花火大会)
Biwako (琵琶湖) is the largest lake in Japan, located north of Kyoto in Shiga prefecture, known as a great cycling destination. The lake area boasts a number of famous tourist attractions around such as Hikone Castle (彦根城) and Shirahige Shrine (白髭神社) and also turns into the venue for the Biwako Fireworks Festival which attracts considerable large crowds (~350,000 people) every summer in early August. About 10,000 colorful fireworks are shot from multiple directions, creating unique light art in the dark sky. It’s possible to reserve a (paid) seat or take a boat cruise to have the best view of the show without crowds of festival-goers. One of the highlights of the beautiful fireworks display is the Biwako Flower Fountain (琵琶湖花噴水), a giant fountain located in the Otsu Port Offering. The collaboration of impressive fireworks and 40m-high water streams offers a spectacular view!
Date: August 8 (Tue.) 2023
*We will update the dates for 2024 when it’s officially announced
9. Kyoto Geijutsu Fireworks Festival (京都芸術花火大会)
Kyoto is one of the most popular tourist destinations along with Tokyo and Osaka in Japan. While it is widely known for its scenic townscape and world-famous historical spots, only a few international tourists know it organizes an annual fireworks festival called Kyoto Geijutsu Fireworks Festival.
The festival has a relatively short history as it was first held on May 30th, 2018, and is planned to take place on the last Wednesday of May at the Kyoto Racecourse in Yodo. The collaboration of colorful fireworks and impressive background music fascinates increasing numbers of visitors every year. The carefully selected music includes not only the latest hits in Japan but also popular melodies such as world-famous songs by The Beatles and Queen. It is held annually in late May so you won’t be bothered by the scorching summer heat typical for fireworks festivals held in the middle of summer. It could be the perfect option for your first fireworks experience in Japan!
Date: June 26 (Wed), 2024
10. Toyota Oiden Festival (豊田おいでんまつり)
Toyota Oiden Festival takes place in Toyota City in Aichi prefecture in July every year. It started in 1968 when many people started coming to Toyota City for work (yes, Toyota is the birthplace of the famous automobile company) and people started the festival so that newcomers and locals can enjoy it together.
On the last day of the festival, beautiful fireworks wrap up the summer. About 15,000 fireworks were launched around Yahagi River and Toyota Stadium which makes it one of the biggest fireworks festivals in the Chubu region.
Date: July 28 (Sun), 2024
If you visit Japan in the summer, you won’t want to miss a fireworks show! In some countries, fireworks are regarded as something to celebrate the arrival of the New Year. In Japan, on the other hand, fireworks are enjoyed without any specific reason, and during the summer season, you can watch a fireworks display every weekend in Japan. Many people think of watching fireworks in the summer as being equivalent to watching cherry blossoms in spring. Without exaggerating, fireworks festivals attract ten thousand people. In the bigger cities sometimes even as many as a million people flock to the area wearing a yukata and having a picnic with friends or family. Watching the colorful fireworks sparkling in the sky is for many Japanese a fun, nostalgic experience. Visiting any of the fireworks festivals above will allow you to get a real Japanese summer experience!
Dress up in Yukata
Many people go to the summer festivals in a beautiful yukata (Japanese traditional summer clothing), and why not try it on if you are planning to visit the summer festival!
Check out the kimono rental shops in Tokyo, Kyoto and other popular tourist areas in Japan to complete the look for the festival.
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