Written by TC Team
This is a great chance to see some of Japan’s best fireworks, outside of the summer festival context.
What happens?
This is a competitive display admired across the country. It features around 20,000 fireworks.
Held on the Sakuragawa Riverside in the Gakuen-Ōhashi area, there’s plenty of seating with a good view. The newest designs and creations are displayed by the best pyrotechnicians in Japan. The competition dates back to 1925, when a local temple priest paid for the first display to honor airmen of the Kasumigaura Naval Air Corps who died in the line of duty, and to lift the town out of its post-earthquake slump. The event is pretty long, lasting around two and a half hours.
Our top tip? Grab some food from the street stalls along the way and get your seat early.
Schedule 2026
The 95th competition takes place on Saturday, November 7, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. It goes ahead in rain, but in stormy weather it will be postponed to the following Saturday, November 14. If it can’t go ahead on either day, it will be canceled.
Tickets 2026
The main paid viewing area, located along the Sakuragawa River near and downstream of Gakuen Bridge, requires a ticket. Individual chair seats cost between ¥4,000 and ¥6,000, depending on the seating category, and are sold by lottery.
The main lottery ran from August 12 to September 10, with results announced on September 14. Tickets are sent by post only (with a ¥990 delivery charge on top) from mid-October, and there are no ticket sales at the venue on the day.
A second lottery for seats returned by original winners ran via Ticket Pia from September 27 to October 2, with results announced on October 5, so tickets are now effectively sold out. Beware of high-priced resales: the organizers have warned against them.
How to watch the fireworks for free
Roads near the venue and private property cannot be used but the firework display is quite large so there are several spots you can use for free such as Tsuchiura City Kasumigaura Comprehensive Park, under the bypass of Route 6 near Aeon Mall Tsuchiura, and the lesser-known Kamitakatsu Shell Mound.
How to get there
The nearest station to the riverside is Tsuchiura Station on the JR Joban Line, around a 30-minute walk or 10-minute shuttle bus from the East Exit (provided on the day for ¥400 one way, or ¥200 for children; buses to the venue run from 3 p.m., with the last one leaving at 5:30 p.m.). It’s about 70 minutes by local train from Ueno Station or 45 minutes by express.
Organizers may cancel events, alter schedules, or change admission requirements without notice. Always check official sites before heading to an event.
