Let's enjoy fireworks in 2024. Learn about the highlights of Japan's three major fireworks festivals and the history of fireworks.

What are the top three fireworks festivals in Japan? Check out the information for 2024

Among the fireworks festivals held around the country, the "Three Great Fireworks Festivals of Japan" are particularly famous for their deep history and large scale. First, we will introduce the history and highlights of these three major fireworks festivals.

National Fireworks Competition "Omagari Fireworks" | Daisen City, Akita Prefecture

The national fireworks competition "Omagari Fireworks" is held in Daisen City, Akita Prefecture, about an hour's drive from Akita Airport. Its history dates back to 1910 (Meiji 43), when it began as the "Ou-U Six Prefectures Fireworks Exhibition," a fireworks competition that was a sideshow at the festival of Akita Suwa Shrine in Daisen City. It is a venerable fireworks festival that boasts a history of over 100 years.

Omagari displays fireworks with different themes each season, centering around the National Fireworks Competition in the summer, so you can enjoy fireworks all year round.

The National Fireworks Competition, held every August, sees 28 participating fireworks companies compete with their skills in five No. 5 fireworks in the daytime fireworks division, two No. 10 fireworks in the nighttime fireworks division, and creative fireworks to determine the best fireworks maker in Japan. Omagari is the only place in the country where the daytime fireworks division is held. You can enjoy the elaborate fireworks created by fireworks makers from all over Japan, and it is a very impressive event.

The 2024 national fireworks competition, "Omagari Fireworks," has been scheduled to take place on August 31. It's a popular event every year, so if you're interested, be sure to check the dates early.

The 96th National Fireworks Competition "Omagari Fireworks"

Nagaoka Festival Fireworks Display | Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture

Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture, is about an hour and a half away by bus from Niigata Airport. The Nagaoka Festival Grand Fireworks Display, held on the riverbed of the Shinano River, Japan's longest river, is a spectacular fireworks display.

It is said that the festival began in 1879 at the Senju-cho Hachiman Shrine festival in Nagaoka, when people involved in the red-light district pooled together funds to set off 350 fireworks.
After that, it became known throughout the country, but the event was canceled due to the Pacific War. Nagaoka suffered heavy damage in the Nagaoka air raid on August 1, 1945, but on August 1 of the following year, the "Nagaoka Reconstruction Festival," the precursor to the Nagaoka Festival, was held.

In 1947, the fireworks display was revived as a memorial for the dead and a symbol of restoration, and was later renamed "Nagaoka Festival," as it remains today.

The Nagaoka Festival Grand Fireworks Display is a large-scale fireworks display that has attracted more than 1 million people in recent years. It boasts an unprecedented scale of fireworks, including the 30-gou fireworks, the Niagara, which stretches 650 meters in length, the 100-saku fireworks, and the Phoenix Fireworks praying for restoration , which bloom across a width of about 2 kilometers.

The 2024 Nagaoka Festival Fireworks Display is scheduled to be held on August 2nd and 3rd. All seats in the viewing area are paid seats, and only those with viewing tickets can enter the fireworks venue. For details on viewing ticket information and sales schedule, please check the website below.

Nagaoka Festival Fireworks Display

Tsuchiura National Fireworks Competition | Tsuchiura City, Ibaraki Prefecture

The Tsuchiura National Fireworks Competition is also known as the competition to decide the best starmine (rapid-fire continuous fireworks) in Japan, and fireworks artists combine a wide variety of fireworks to launch gorgeous and impressive starmines. The competition is divided into three categories: starmine, 10-gou ball, and creative fireworks.

The Tsuchiura National Fireworks Competition began in 1925. The 24th head priest of Shinryu-ji Temple in Tsuchiura City used his own money to hold the event on the shores of Lake Kasumigaura in order to commemorate those who had died in the line of duty in the air force and to revitalize the economy, which had been devastated by the recession following the Great Kanto Earthquake.

The 93rd Tsuchiura National Fireworks Competition is scheduled to be held on November 2nd in 2024. Paid seating will be available, and details on how and when tickets will go on sale will be announced on the following website. This is a spectacular and impressive fireworks festival, so keep an eye out for future announcements.

Tsuchiura National Fireworks Competition

Come experience "Japan's No. 1 Fireworks Festival"!

One way to enjoy the festival is to search for the best fireworks festival in Japan. We have picked out two festivals that we highly recommend you visit.

What exactly makes these fireworks festivals the best in Japan? Let's take a look.

The longest-running fireworks festival in Japan | Sumida River Fireworks Festival

The Sumida River Fireworks Festival is a major summer event in Tokyo, held in areas of Tokyo such as Asakusa and Ryogoku, particularly in the areas around the Sumida River, where the Edo atmosphere remains. It is one of the largest fireworks festivals in Japan, attracting nearly one million spectators and broadcasting the event on television.

In fact, it wasn't until 1978 that the name was changed to Sumida River Fireworks Festival, and before that it was called "Ryogoku River Opening." We'll go into more detail later, but Ryogoku River Opening is considered to be the beginning of fireworks festivals in Japan. Although it was temporarily suspended due to worsening traffic conditions, it can be said to be the longest-running fireworks festival in Japan.

The sight of 20,000 fireworks and the Tokyo Skytree (R) performing side by side is a sight to behold. As you watch the fireworks, you will also be able to feel the excitement of the Edokko people who once enjoyed the river festival in Ryogoku.

Some people enjoy the view from a cruise on the Sumida River, while others enjoy the view from a hotel. Because of its large scale, people enjoy it in different ways, so find the best spot for you.

2024 (47th) Sumida River Fireworks Festival

Japan's longest-running fireworks festival | Lake Toya Long-Running Fireworks Festival

About 2 hours and 30 minutes by car from Sapporo city, Toyako Onsen is a popular place where you can enjoy high-quality hot springs, and the Toyako Long Run Fireworks Festival has been held since 1982.

The most distinctive feature of this festival is that you can enjoy fireworks every day for a long period of time, from the end of April to the end of October. There are long-running fireworks festivals held in other places, but no other festivals are held for such a long period of time.

When it comes to fireworks festivals, many people probably think of summer, but they can also be enjoyed in spring and autumn, so the appeal of long-run fireworks is that you can enjoy different firework scenes depending on the season.

Approximately 450 fireworks are set off every day between 20:45 and 21:05 while traveling by boat on Lake Toya. The large fireworks floating in the sky above Lake Toya and the fireworks reflected on the vast lake surface create a spectacular sight. If you enjoy it from a pleasure boat, the experience becomes even more immersive.

The area around Lake Toya is also attractive for its beautiful scenery formed by volcanic activity. Why not go and experience the unique scenery of nature and fireworks, regardless of the summer?

The 43rd Toyako Long-Run Fireworks Festival

Related article

What are the three major festivals in Japan? Learn about the highlights and history, then head out to festivals in each region!

Japan has a variety of festivals rooted in the local community, and it is said that there are about 300,000 of them. They vary in content, from parades with portable shrines, Bon Odori, and fire festivals. Because Japan is such a festival-loving country, there may be many people who have heard of the names of festivals but do not know the details of their origins or highlights. In this article, we will introduce the three biggest festivals in each region, including the "Three Biggest Festivals in Japan," "The Three Biggest Festivals in Tohoku," "The Three Biggest Fighting Festivals in Japan," and "The Three Biggest Kunchi (The Three Biggest Autumn Festivals in Kyushu)." If you're looking for a festival that interests you, check out these top three festivals.

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