A huge part of Japanese holidays, nothing says summer like lighting some fireworks on a beach. And when the pros do it, it’s even more impressive. Don your yukata and go on the hunt for some choco banana and yaki-soba to experience Japanese summer the local way. Here are some of the best firework festivals in Japan.
Note: seated tickets often sell out fairly quickly, so if you are planning to make a trip, buy your tickets well in advance. Otherwise, head to a tall building or to a park nearby where you can catch some of the action, and soak up the festival air as well.
List of Contents:
Fireworks Festivals in July
Makomanai Fireworks Festival
One of Hokkaido's largest fireworks festivals, the fireworks festival in Makomanai, Sapporo city, boasts over 20,000 explosions across its duration. With fireworks commissioned from previous Tokyo Weekender interviewees, Nihonbashi Marutamaya, this is a performance not to be missed.| Date & Time | Jul 6, 2024・19:50-・Doors open 17:00 |
| Price | ¥4,500 |
| Location | Makomanai Sekisui Heim Stadium |
46th Oki Park Fireworks Festival
Oki Park, in Okinawa, is set to host its 46th summer festival, complete with over 10,000 fireworks. The biggest firework festival in Okinawa, it will enchant viewers are invited with thousands of spectacular light blooms; the reflection from the sky onto the sea makes it even more special. There will, of course, be food stall and other beach entertainment as well.| Date & Time | Jul 13, 2024・20:00-21:00 |
| Price | ¥2,500 |
| Location | Emerald Beach |
Sumidagawa Fireworks Festival
Sumidagawa Fireworks Festival is one of the oldest fireworks festivals, with a history stretching back nearly 300 years, to 1732. It originated as an event to help locals pray for loved ones who had died after various tragedies befell the area, like disease and famine. Nowadays, the festival is a wholly positive affair, a competition between various fireworks makers to see who can impress the public the most. Sumidagawa festival is one of the most popular firework festivals in the year, so be aware of crowding when you go and bring a lot of patience with you!| Date & Time | Jul 27, 2024・19:00-20:30 |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Sumida River |
Toyota Oiden Festival
While the Toyota Oiden Festival is known for its fireworks display, it's actually made up of two parts: the dance performances on Saturday, July 27 and the fireworks on Sunday, July 28. The festival draws crowds from across Japan, as people clamor to experience the breathtaking performance put on by the country's top pyrotechnics crews.| Date & Time | Jul 27, 2024-Jul 28, 2024・19:00-・Varies daily |
| Price | ¥6,000 |
| Location | Sengoku Park |
| More Info | Tickets are limited |
Adachi Fireworks
The Adachi Fireworks Festival, held on July 20, is the first of many large-scale fireworks festivals to be held in Tokyo, and known as one of the busiest. Explosions expected: approximately 13,000 fireworks will be launched in just one hour. There will also be a myriad of food and drinks stalls.| Date & Time | Jul 20, 2024・19:20- |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Arakawa River |
| More Info | Seated tickets sold out |
Fireworks Festivals in August
Nagaoka Fireworks Festival
Nagaoka Fireworks festival in Niigata is one of the country's largest, most visited fireworks celebrations. Over 20,000 explosions paint the sky across the two-day event, which draws visitors from far and wide. The festival started in its current iteration in 1947, to commemorate victims of some intense bombing during World War II. It's continued in some form ever since, growing year on year to its current impressive state.| Date & Time | Aug 2, 2024-Aug 3, 2024・19:20-21:10 |
| Price | ¥2,000 |
| Location | Shinanogawa Kasen Park |
| More Info | Tickets sold separately by day |
Matsudo Fireworks Festival
Located just one train away from central Tokyo on the Odakyu Line, Matsudo has just the right balance of convenience and fewer crowds. Over 15,000 fireworks will be set off over the Edo River when the sun goes down. Arrive early to enjoy the food stalls and make merry throughout the day, before finishing off with a literal bang. Even though it's a less crowded festival, early booking is recommended.| Date & Time | Aug 3, 2024・19:15-・Doors open at 16:00 |
| Price | ¥2,500 |
| Location | Kogasaki Sports Field |
Edogawa Fireworks Festival
The classic Edogawa Fireworks Festival (the other of the Big Two festivals in Tokyo) hits its 49th edition in style with over 14,000 fireworks set off above the Edo River. Known as one of the busiest fireworks festivals in the country, this year, there are many paid-for seats and blue sheet spaces, so you can enjoy the fireworks in relative comfort.| Date & Time | Aug 24, 2024・19:15-20:20 |
| Price | ¥6000 |
| Location | Edo River between Shinozaki and Edogawa Stations |
| More Info | Limited amount of free tickets are available for local residents |
Omagari Fireworks Festival
Known as one of the Big Three fireworks festivals, Akita's Omagari Fireworks Festival attracts over 700,000 spectators every year. The festival, which began in 1910, brings onlookers from far and wide to witness one of the country's most impressive firework displays in a giant competition which pits 28 different pyrotechnicians against each other.| Date & Time | Aug 31, 2024・17:10-・2nd performance start: 18:50 |
| Price | ¥7,000 |
| Location | Omono Riverside Park |
