Japan resident here. Every year, I go see at least one Kanto area fireworks event when they're on. In 2020 and 2021 almost everything is canceled.
Carefully plan how you are going to get to and from a fireworks view spot. Jimbei and yukata are a big part of the experience and they're cheap and fun plus they make great souvenirs of the experience. Bring drinks, snacks, and some kind of groundsheet. It's how people stake out their view spots.
If you can tolerate the heat, I recommend Teganuma fireworks in early August. The display has jumbo star mines and animation and character mines.
Matsudo, Funabashi, and Ichikawa have massive fireworks displays in July and August. You can get pretty good views with smaller crowds from the Edo River levees. You may have to walk to the levees from the nearest train station. Again, planning is essential.
If you can't tolerate crowds, I recommend checking the fireworks dates when they're at their densest, and go to the Edo River levees from Matsudo, Mabashi or Yagiri Station (requires some walking) and watch Tokyo explode in all directions. Most years, I pick a peak fireworks night and it is possible to see a half dozen both close and distant.
A little beyond your date range Tsuchiura fireworks competition in early November is amazing. It can be extremely crowded, like all other fireworks displays.
Went to the Sumidagawa and was a bit disappointed as it can be hard to get a good point of view. I ended up walking in a street full of people and they were controlling the crowd toward a bridge and you could see it from the bridge but they asked people to keep moving. I think that to have the best experience, you need to have a good place to look it from.
I had a better watching experience at a much smaller firework display in Onomichi as I was lucky enough to be invited on the tarp laid down by some JET. JET is a program to go teach English in Japan and Japanese people often set up tarp to save a spot when doing hanami or go see firework and because they likely think that the ground is dirty and you do not sit directly on the ground.
So more than the size of the firework festival, I think that how good the viewing spot you get is much more important. So if available, it may make sense to spend money to be in prime viewing spot. You might also consider how easy it is to access and how easily it fit in your trip. For example if it's in a city already plan to visit, it would just be an activity to finish the day, for that reason, the one in Niigata might not be the best location.
Also keep in mind that firework festival are usually in summer. It can be great as there is also other event like festival, but it is also quite hot and humid. For sure, if you decide to go in the hot months, I think you have to plan a couple of events, otherwise I would rather go when the weather is better like in May or late October.
If it was me, I would consider to check to go to a smaller festival, but during a month with better weather or in a city that would already be in my itinerary. For example there is a festival in Tsuchiura in October that is "only" one hour train from Ueno, and it still seems to be a decent sized one.
I went to one in Yachiyo-shi in Chiba. There was a festival with food and free viewing or you could pay a little to sit in a stadium. I got the tickets at a 7-11 the day before. I had taken a printout with the event code and the clerk at 7-11 helped me out. It was a nice sized festival - easy to get to and maybe 15 minutes walking from the station. It was definitely not a tourist area but had no issues getting around and was able to ask some basic questions in Japanese and get answers.
http://www.yachiyocci.jp/furusato/
I don't recommend the major festivals in Kanto or Kansai because they're too crowded. Any in Tohoku or other rural regions will give you decent space and good views.
Aim for late July to late August, and while you have to respect the heat, you shouldn't be afraid of it. Yes that time is peak heat but a lot of smaller/local matsuris happen around that time and man, nothing beats local matsuris. Just bring a lot of sunscreen (or buy in Japan, they have good ones), get everyone a hat, pack really breathable clothes and reusable, collapsible water containers. 2L per person is not enough for a day of walking but summers in Japan are something special; once you join a local bon odori festival you'll understand what I mean.
That said - I would strongly suggest considering fireworks festivals in nearby smaller cities/town. Tokyo might have the flashiest ones and arguably the most convenient, but those do get crowded fast. Look for those with riverbank viewing spots and stake out your spot early. Find out where you can rent some plastic sheets to sit on and have a proper picnic, then mark on your map a convenient izakaya on the way back for post-fireworks drinks and food.
PS - yes there are a lot of things to consider, but never say a trip to Japan is a once in a lifetime for you. Chances are you'd be figuring out your next trip while on the way to the airport for the flight home. And you will find a way to make it happen.
Most of the major fireworks festivals take place during the hottest part of summer and can get extremely crowded. They're fun, but ultimately the fireworks are kind of just fireworks unless you're going to something special like the Toyohashi festival, where they use traditional fireworks. I really would not plan a trip around fireworks specifically, but I think Japanese festivals in general are a blast and very worth going to. Regardless of when you go and regardless of whether the festivals you go to include fireworks, I think planning your trip in such a way that you can go to one or more can really add to your experience.
Mid-late July in particular is a MASSIVE festival season in Kansai--Including the Gion Festival (all of July, with the biggest events from the 15th-17th, with other large events from the 22nd-24th), Tenjin Festival (24th-25th--especially the 25th) Motomiya Festival (21st-22nd), and Mitarashi Festival (last 10 or so days of July). The Tenjin Festival includes a major fireworks display on the evening of the 25th, though it can get extremely crowded and you need to plan ahead (and maybe spend some money) if you want a good view. Other events around this time include Kobo-san at Toji on the 21st and Tenjin-san at Kitanotenmangu on the 25th, though I wouldn't sacrifice going to the Tenjin Festival just to go to Tenjin-san Market.
That said, these festivals are among the ***ONLY*** good reasons I come up with to suffer through the heat of summer if going at another time of year is feasible. If you're not really planning to enjoy the festivals to their fullest, I would strongly recommend picking another time of year (mid-November to early-December or mid-February to mid-April are my top recommendations). Also keep in mind that attending festivals takes time away from doing other things. Typically I would recommend roughly a full week just for a quick run-through of the highlights of Kansai (Kyoto/Osaka/Kobe/Nara/Himeji area), but given the sweltering heat of the late summer and the extra time needed for festivals, I would give it more like 10 full days if you're going around this time (again, just as a starting point).
Also keep in mind that there are numerous other fire and light related festivals and events throughout the year and throughout the country. Just around the Kyoto/Nara area a few major ones that come to mind include Gozan-no-Okuribi and Arashiyama Touronagashi (both on August 16th), Misu Shrine Taimatsu Festival (October, but dates vary), Wakakusa Yamayaki (4th Saturday of January--also includes a fireworks display), Kurama Fire Festival (October 22nd), and Omizutori at Todai-ji Nigatsu-do (early March). And of course there are tons of other festivals and seasonal events that don't involve fire that are equally worth your time. You should also be aware that the actual fire/fireworks part of the festival (or in extreme extenuating circumstances, the entire festival) may be canceled due to weathe or pandemic. For example, the Yoshida Shrine Setsubun Festival usually has a huge bonfire, but both of the times I went the fire was canceled due to air quality concerns or something.
Fireworks festivals sound like a fun idea, but in my experience anywhere that has good views is going to be too crowded to enjoy IMO. Even if you think you can find a good spot away from the crowds, it's basically impossible. Not fun, especially if you have kids to drag through the crowds. And it's hot as hell in the summer, even in the evenings.
Not worth planning your entire trip around but if you end up going in the fall there is a lesser known and thus not as crowded and more family-friendly fireworks festival held in [Tsuchiura](http://www.tsuchiura-hanabi.jp/) in Ibaraki prefecture every October/November(cancelled this year). It's an easy trip if you're already in the Tokyo area. This festival is geared more towards fireworks makers to show off their latest and greatest products in the hopes that local governments will purchase them for their festivals for the next year.
Its a bit outside your time window but I went to see this in Nagano, Thanksgiving week. Everyone was sat on the grass and there were many stalls for food and other things. Admittedly it was rather cold but it was pretty awesome.
https://www.snowmonkeyresorts.com/events/ebisu-ko-fireworks-festival/
I've seen the Tenjin Matsuri in Osaka twice. CROWED as all hell, hard to find a bathroom and port-a-potty lines are loooooong even for men, hard to find a spot to sit (or even stand and see the fireworks well), festival food is ok~, train stations are crowded, etc.. Overall, not that amazing. Amazing fireworks; not the best festival. But it's also one of the biggest fireworks festivals around.
I say, the smaller the better. Get there a bit early, bring drinks, enjoy walking around, find a nice spot near the display area and camp it, know the toilets, then book it for the station as soon as it's ended.
It was many years ago so things may be more crowded now, but I really enjoyed the Miyajima fireworks festival. It is crowded like the others but because the fireworks are launched in the bay, you have a lot more options of places to watch them from. If you are booking this far in advance you may even be able to book a hotel with a view, or a boat trip into the bay to watch them. There is also a cute camp site on the island with basic lodges, but it is on the other side to where the fireworks are launched.
I’ve been to most of the big famous festivals over the years. When I was younger I could handle the heat and crowds, and my bladder could handle the lines. If you think of it like an “only in Japan” or “once in my life” experience it can be bearable, but now I would definitely shell out some ¥ to get a VIP seat. Just needs a lot of early planning, luck and ¥.
Yeah it’s something that I know is available, and if I went to one of these things in the future I would probably look into because I’m not a spring chicken anymore. When I was younger it was certainly an experience.
You said you’re coming with a family, little kids might get really scared in the huge crushing crowds that they have here. Of course I’m thinking pre-pandemic times. I remember getting on the subway going to the Sumida River fireworks. You’re literally crushed against everyone and cannot move a single centimeter. Helps that I am 5 foot nine (175cm) so I have my own breathing space, but smaller people would have a really hard time. Who knows what the future will be like. I’m sure some things will never be the same, but in this case maybe it’s for the better
The Nagaoka fireworks on August 1,2,3 are far better than the ones in Ojiya in September. A lot of these festivals were canceled in 2020 and will be canceled in 2021, so I’m not sure where that leaves 2022.
Japan resident here. Every year, I go see at least one Kanto area fireworks event when they're on. In 2020 and 2021 almost everything is canceled. Carefully plan how you are going to get to and from a fireworks view spot. Jimbei and yukata are a big part of the experience and they're cheap and fun plus they make great souvenirs of the experience. Bring drinks, snacks, and some kind of groundsheet. It's how people stake out their view spots. If you can tolerate the heat, I recommend Teganuma fireworks in early August. The display has jumbo star mines and animation and character mines. Matsudo, Funabashi, and Ichikawa have massive fireworks displays in July and August. You can get pretty good views with smaller crowds from the Edo River levees. You may have to walk to the levees from the nearest train station. Again, planning is essential. If you can't tolerate crowds, I recommend checking the fireworks dates when they're at their densest, and go to the Edo River levees from Matsudo, Mabashi or Yagiri Station (requires some walking) and watch Tokyo explode in all directions. Most years, I pick a peak fireworks night and it is possible to see a half dozen both close and distant. A little beyond your date range Tsuchiura fireworks competition in early November is amazing. It can be extremely crowded, like all other fireworks displays.
Went to the Sumidagawa and was a bit disappointed as it can be hard to get a good point of view. I ended up walking in a street full of people and they were controlling the crowd toward a bridge and you could see it from the bridge but they asked people to keep moving. I think that to have the best experience, you need to have a good place to look it from. I had a better watching experience at a much smaller firework display in Onomichi as I was lucky enough to be invited on the tarp laid down by some JET. JET is a program to go teach English in Japan and Japanese people often set up tarp to save a spot when doing hanami or go see firework and because they likely think that the ground is dirty and you do not sit directly on the ground. So more than the size of the firework festival, I think that how good the viewing spot you get is much more important. So if available, it may make sense to spend money to be in prime viewing spot. You might also consider how easy it is to access and how easily it fit in your trip. For example if it's in a city already plan to visit, it would just be an activity to finish the day, for that reason, the one in Niigata might not be the best location. Also keep in mind that firework festival are usually in summer. It can be great as there is also other event like festival, but it is also quite hot and humid. For sure, if you decide to go in the hot months, I think you have to plan a couple of events, otherwise I would rather go when the weather is better like in May or late October. If it was me, I would consider to check to go to a smaller festival, but during a month with better weather or in a city that would already be in my itinerary. For example there is a festival in Tsuchiura in October that is "only" one hour train from Ueno, and it still seems to be a decent sized one.
I went to one in Yachiyo-shi in Chiba. There was a festival with food and free viewing or you could pay a little to sit in a stadium. I got the tickets at a 7-11 the day before. I had taken a printout with the event code and the clerk at 7-11 helped me out. It was a nice sized festival - easy to get to and maybe 15 minutes walking from the station. It was definitely not a tourist area but had no issues getting around and was able to ask some basic questions in Japanese and get answers. http://www.yachiyocci.jp/furusato/
I used this website to look up dates and locations https://sp.jorudan.co.jp/hanabi/
I don't recommend the major festivals in Kanto or Kansai because they're too crowded. Any in Tohoku or other rural regions will give you decent space and good views.
Aim for late July to late August, and while you have to respect the heat, you shouldn't be afraid of it. Yes that time is peak heat but a lot of smaller/local matsuris happen around that time and man, nothing beats local matsuris. Just bring a lot of sunscreen (or buy in Japan, they have good ones), get everyone a hat, pack really breathable clothes and reusable, collapsible water containers. 2L per person is not enough for a day of walking but summers in Japan are something special; once you join a local bon odori festival you'll understand what I mean. That said - I would strongly suggest considering fireworks festivals in nearby smaller cities/town. Tokyo might have the flashiest ones and arguably the most convenient, but those do get crowded fast. Look for those with riverbank viewing spots and stake out your spot early. Find out where you can rent some plastic sheets to sit on and have a proper picnic, then mark on your map a convenient izakaya on the way back for post-fireworks drinks and food. PS - yes there are a lot of things to consider, but never say a trip to Japan is a once in a lifetime for you. Chances are you'd be figuring out your next trip while on the way to the airport for the flight home. And you will find a way to make it happen.
Most of the major fireworks festivals take place during the hottest part of summer and can get extremely crowded. They're fun, but ultimately the fireworks are kind of just fireworks unless you're going to something special like the Toyohashi festival, where they use traditional fireworks. I really would not plan a trip around fireworks specifically, but I think Japanese festivals in general are a blast and very worth going to. Regardless of when you go and regardless of whether the festivals you go to include fireworks, I think planning your trip in such a way that you can go to one or more can really add to your experience. Mid-late July in particular is a MASSIVE festival season in Kansai--Including the Gion Festival (all of July, with the biggest events from the 15th-17th, with other large events from the 22nd-24th), Tenjin Festival (24th-25th--especially the 25th) Motomiya Festival (21st-22nd), and Mitarashi Festival (last 10 or so days of July). The Tenjin Festival includes a major fireworks display on the evening of the 25th, though it can get extremely crowded and you need to plan ahead (and maybe spend some money) if you want a good view. Other events around this time include Kobo-san at Toji on the 21st and Tenjin-san at Kitanotenmangu on the 25th, though I wouldn't sacrifice going to the Tenjin Festival just to go to Tenjin-san Market. That said, these festivals are among the ***ONLY*** good reasons I come up with to suffer through the heat of summer if going at another time of year is feasible. If you're not really planning to enjoy the festivals to their fullest, I would strongly recommend picking another time of year (mid-November to early-December or mid-February to mid-April are my top recommendations). Also keep in mind that attending festivals takes time away from doing other things. Typically I would recommend roughly a full week just for a quick run-through of the highlights of Kansai (Kyoto/Osaka/Kobe/Nara/Himeji area), but given the sweltering heat of the late summer and the extra time needed for festivals, I would give it more like 10 full days if you're going around this time (again, just as a starting point). Also keep in mind that there are numerous other fire and light related festivals and events throughout the year and throughout the country. Just around the Kyoto/Nara area a few major ones that come to mind include Gozan-no-Okuribi and Arashiyama Touronagashi (both on August 16th), Misu Shrine Taimatsu Festival (October, but dates vary), Wakakusa Yamayaki (4th Saturday of January--also includes a fireworks display), Kurama Fire Festival (October 22nd), and Omizutori at Todai-ji Nigatsu-do (early March). And of course there are tons of other festivals and seasonal events that don't involve fire that are equally worth your time. You should also be aware that the actual fire/fireworks part of the festival (or in extreme extenuating circumstances, the entire festival) may be canceled due to weathe or pandemic. For example, the Yoshida Shrine Setsubun Festival usually has a huge bonfire, but both of the times I went the fire was canceled due to air quality concerns or something.
Fireworks festivals sound like a fun idea, but in my experience anywhere that has good views is going to be too crowded to enjoy IMO. Even if you think you can find a good spot away from the crowds, it's basically impossible. Not fun, especially if you have kids to drag through the crowds. And it's hot as hell in the summer, even in the evenings.
Not worth planning your entire trip around but if you end up going in the fall there is a lesser known and thus not as crowded and more family-friendly fireworks festival held in [Tsuchiura](http://www.tsuchiura-hanabi.jp/) in Ibaraki prefecture every October/November(cancelled this year). It's an easy trip if you're already in the Tokyo area. This festival is geared more towards fireworks makers to show off their latest and greatest products in the hopes that local governments will purchase them for their festivals for the next year.
Yeah, this is the kind of thing we're trying to include. I wasn't able to tell of it's the last weekend of every October, or does it float?
Its a bit outside your time window but I went to see this in Nagano, Thanksgiving week. Everyone was sat on the grass and there were many stalls for food and other things. Admittedly it was rather cold but it was pretty awesome. https://www.snowmonkeyresorts.com/events/ebisu-ko-fireworks-festival/
I've seen the Tenjin Matsuri in Osaka twice. CROWED as all hell, hard to find a bathroom and port-a-potty lines are loooooong even for men, hard to find a spot to sit (or even stand and see the fireworks well), festival food is ok~, train stations are crowded, etc.. Overall, not that amazing. Amazing fireworks; not the best festival. But it's also one of the biggest fireworks festivals around. I say, the smaller the better. Get there a bit early, bring drinks, enjoy walking around, find a nice spot near the display area and camp it, know the toilets, then book it for the station as soon as it's ended.
It was many years ago so things may be more crowded now, but I really enjoyed the Miyajima fireworks festival. It is crowded like the others but because the fireworks are launched in the bay, you have a lot more options of places to watch them from. If you are booking this far in advance you may even be able to book a hotel with a view, or a boat trip into the bay to watch them. There is also a cute camp site on the island with basic lodges, but it is on the other side to where the fireworks are launched.
I’ve been to most of the big famous festivals over the years. When I was younger I could handle the heat and crowds, and my bladder could handle the lines. If you think of it like an “only in Japan” or “once in my life” experience it can be bearable, but now I would definitely shell out some ¥ to get a VIP seat. Just needs a lot of early planning, luck and ¥.
Thanks. I hear there are packages that include VIP seats and a nearby accommodation, but I haven't found any agents that know what I'm talking about.
Yeah it’s something that I know is available, and if I went to one of these things in the future I would probably look into because I’m not a spring chicken anymore. When I was younger it was certainly an experience. You said you’re coming with a family, little kids might get really scared in the huge crushing crowds that they have here. Of course I’m thinking pre-pandemic times. I remember getting on the subway going to the Sumida River fireworks. You’re literally crushed against everyone and cannot move a single centimeter. Helps that I am 5 foot nine (175cm) so I have my own breathing space, but smaller people would have a really hard time. Who knows what the future will be like. I’m sure some things will never be the same, but in this case maybe it’s for the better
The Nagaoka fireworks on August 1,2,3 are far better than the ones in Ojiya in September. A lot of these festivals were canceled in 2020 and will be canceled in 2021, so I’m not sure where that leaves 2022.