15 Best Fireworks Festivals in Japan to See in 2023/24

This major fireworks festival is held at Omagari, Akita and it follows Tsuchiura All Japan Fireworks Festival in the top 3 best fireworks competition in the whole of Japan. As it is a nationwide competition, you can just imagine the attention that it captures. If you are planning to attend this event, you mustn't miss the 500m long rapid and continuous shots of Starmines during this event. 

This event is on August 22.

After Tsuchiura's fireworks festival, this is the next popular festival in the Kanto area. This fireworks festival shows how city folks celebrate summer. Picnic mats are lined up along the riverbed and people await patiently in the heat for the show to begin. As this festival is even bigger than the one at Sumidagawa River, be prepared that the roads will be closed to make way for more space for the public to view the show. Indeed, this is a major metropolitan fireworks festival!

This fireworks festival in Yokohama has made its ways to the top ranks with other Kanto's and prefectures' fireworks festival. The Shakudamas exploding in the sky continuously with the breathtaking view of the harbor creates a really beautiful and romantic experience. The main feature of this festival would have to be how the fireworks are arranged to be in sync with the music playing in the background. This fireworks festival is truly spectacular with its wide variety of fireworks with the beautiful view of the harbor in the background. 

Minato Kobe Fireworks Festival at Kobe is just as famous and popular in the Kansai area as Osaka's Tenjin Matsuri. It is gaining a lot of attention nationwide too. Just like the festival at Yokohama, this one offers spectacular fireworks performances with a beautiful view of the harbor. So, yes this experience is not to be missed. 

When it comes to the fireworks festivals in Osaka, they would have to be Tenjin Matsuri, Naniwa Yodogawa Fireworks Festival and the PL Art of Fireworks in no particular order. We'll first talk about the Tenjin Matsuri. This fireworks festival has been around for more than 1000 years and this is considered as one of the top 3 biggest matsuri festivals in the whole of Japan. As the name Tenjin goes, this festival is all about honoring the gods. The whole place is festive with fireworks decorating the sky and well lit traditional boats on the river. 

This fireworks festival started off as a community project in which locals would volunteer but it has now turned into Osaka's major summer festive celebration. If you come early you could secure seats that would provide you with an up-close view of the fireworks and if you do not like crowds when commuting, we recommend you to leave early before the festival ends else you would get caught in the crowds. 

PL Art of Fireworks is the most-anticipated fireworks festival in Osaka. This fireworks festival is slightly different from other festivals because it is held to honor the first and second founders of Church of Perfect Liberty. Besides that it is an event to spread the word of peace to the world. Although it is a religious event, it is well loved by all here in Osaka because it features the rare Shakudamas. It is truly a spectacular show that features different types of fireworks in a wide variety of color in a very artistic way. It closes off with rapid and continuous shots of 1000 fireworks.

The 2nd fireworks festival in the Tokai area that people want to attend would have to be this event. It is famous nationwide. A well-selected group of pyrotechnic experts compete here to show off their skills in this spectacular event that promises to wow spectators with 30,000 shots! The public can also vote for the best freestyle performance online. You can also catch a glimpse of Shiga Castle on Kinkazan from the location of the event. 

Shizuoka's Fukuroi Fireworks Festival ranks 3rd among the fireworks festival in the Tokai area. Top pyrotechnic experts will compete to show their talents and you'll see fireworks explode in the sky in sync with the music played in the background. You might be pleasantly surprised with a fireworks presentation in the form of a well-loved fairytale and since this event is held in Shizuoka, this event will naturally feature a fireworks presentation in the shape of Mount Fuji. 

Folks here are proud of this fireworks festival because it showcases 40,000 shots, the highest number of fireworks shots in the whole of Japan. It is not surprising to see it in the top ranks with other famous events. This event features a fireworks competition followed by a grand finale of waterfall effect fireworks that span for 2km along the lake. You won't only be amazed by the visuals here but because the lake is surrounded by mountains, the boom of the fireworks exploding creates an unforgettable echo.