The 12 Best Summer Firework Displays to see in Japan
- Published on : 15/05/2026
- by : Phoebe
- Youtube
Fireworks in Japan
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Every summer, Japan lights up to the rhythm of the hanabi, the spectacular fireworks displays that transform the archipelago's skies. From north to south, discover 12 not-to-be-missed events on your next trip to Japan, with Japan Experience.
Northern Japan
1. Kachimai fireworks (Hokkaido)
In the far north of Japan, Kachimai sets off over 20,000 fireworks displays, accompanied by sound and light effects. It's the perfect opportunity to escape the summer heat while discovering the beauty of Hokkaido.
FURTHER INFORMATION
- Date: mid-August
- Address: Banks of the Tokachi River, Obihiro, Hokkaido
2. Noshiro fireworks (Akita)
In Akita Prefecture, this huge fireworks display attracts some 200,000 visitors every year, around the port of Noshiro. The program? More than 15,000 rockets are fired over the Sea of Japan.
FURTHER INFORMATION
- Date: July 3 weekend
- Address: Noshiro Port, Shimohama, Akita
Noshiro fireworks display
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3. Omagari fireworks (Akita)
Created in 1910, this is one of the most popular events in the Tohoku region. Nearly 800,000 people come to watch the fireworks, which feature competitions between pyrotechnicians from all over the country. In all, over 18,000 rockets are fired.
FURTHER INFORMATION
- Date: Last Saturday in August.
- Address: Omagari Park, Daisen, Akita
4. Kashiwazaki Fireworks (Niigata)
250 km north of Tokyo, the "Great Fireworks of the Sea" closes the Gion Festival in Kashiwazaki. For the occasion, locals perform traditional dances and parade floats. Over 15,000 rockets are fired.
FURTHER INFORMATION
- Date : every July 26
- Address: Coastal area of Minatomachi Seaside Park and Kashiwazaki Central Beach
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Center of the country
5. Lake Suwa fireworks (Nagano)
One of the country's biggest fireworks displays! Held every year on August 15 around Lake Suwa in Nagano Prefecture, it's famous for its immense fireworks over the water, whose reflections illuminate the lake. Surrounded by mountains, the site creates an impressive resonance that amplifies the sound of the explosions, making the spectacle particularly immersive. With tens of thousands of blasts fired in a single evening, the event attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors who come to enjoy the atmosphere of Obon, yukata and onsen of the region.
FURTHER INFORMATION
- Date: every year on August 15
- Address: Lake Suwa, Suwa, Nagano
6. Shinmei fireworks (Yamanashi)
In Ichikawamisato, a town famous for its washi paper, more rockets are fired than there are inhabitants! More than 20,000 rockets illuminate the Mount Fuji valley. The show combines fireworks and music in an immersive atmosphere, attracting some 240,000 visitors every year.
FURTHER INFORMATION
- Date: every year on August 7
- Address: Takata, Ichikawamisato, Nishi Yatsushiro, Yamanashi
Yamanashi fireworks
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7. Utsunomiya fireworks (Tochigi)
Less than an hour from Tokyo by Shinkansen, Utsunomiya hosts one of the region's most ambitious fireworks displays: 30,000 rockets. Popular with locals, it attracts some 400,000 spectators every summer to enjoy a typically Japanese summer evening in a matsuri atmosphere.
FURTHER INFORMATION
- Date: second Saturday in August
- Address: Dojuku, Utsunomiya, Tochigi
8. Fukuroi Enshu fireworks (Shizuoka)
This is one of the biggest fireworks displays in the Shizuoka region, renowned for its massive bursts of fireworks. Held in Fukuroi, it provides an opportunity to visit the Japanese countryside. Put on a yukata and watch the best pyrotechnicians in the archipelago battle it out to music!
FURTHER INFORMATION
- Date: second Saturday in July
- Address: Aino, Fukuroi, Shizuoka
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Tokyo
9. Fireworks on the Sumida River
One of Tokyo's most emblematic fireworks displays, it takes place every summer along the banks of the Sumida River. Dating back to the 18th century, it attracts hundreds of thousands of spectators from Asakusa and the surrounding riverbanks. The show is renowned for its two launch sites, synchronized sequences and spectacular view of Tokyo's skyscrapers illuminated by fire.
FURTHER INFORMATION
- Date: last Saturday in July
- Address: banks of the Sumida River, Asakusa, Tokyo
Sumida fireworks
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10. Adachi fireworks display
With over 14,000 rockets fired near the Arakawa River, the Adachi district fireworks display is the biggest in the north of the capital. Fired every year on the third weekend of July, it's the very first fireworks display of the summer, making it one of the capital's most popular, with almost 2 million visitors every year! If you're planning to attend, it''s best to leave an hour and a half in advance to be sure of getting a seat!
FURTHER INFORMATION
- Date: third weekend in July
- Address: Arakawa River, Adachi-ku, Tokyo
11. Itabashi fireworks display
Held on the first weekend in August near Nishidai Station, the Itabashi district fireworks display attracts over 500,000 people every year. The reason? It's one of the most elaborate fireworks displays in the capital! Flowers, mountains, geometric shapes and even Pokemon—the 12,000 rockets fired can take on highly original forms as they explode in the sky. Just like the "Niagara Falls," a 700 m-long trail of colors for which the Itabashi fire has always been famous!
Itabashi fireworks
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FURTHER INFORMATION
- Date : First weekend in August
- Address: 3-20 Funado, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo
12. Edogawa fireworks display
On the first Saturday in August, the Edogawa district organizes a fireworks display of over 14,000 rockets along the Edogawa River. The ninety-minute show attracts some 450,000 visitors.
FURTHER INFORMATION
- Date: first Saturday in August
- Address: banks of the Edogawa River, Edogawa-ku
How to enjoy summer fireworks in Japan?
Whichever fireworks display you attend this summer, come to the site in advance to be sure of finding a place to enjoy the show.
A veritable institution in Japan, fireworks displays always attract huge crowds! That's why some Japanese come and put a tarpaulin over their chosen spot in the afternoon , to make sure no one takes their spot away.
A tarpaulin is also a very practical way of reserving a spot for a picnic . Picnics often go hand in hand with rocketry. And there are plenty of food stalls on site to help festival-goers make the most of an evening under the glittering lights. Don't forget it!
Sumida fireworks
@wikimedia
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