Discover the Magic of Kyoto’s Summer Fireworks Festivals

Every year on August 16, the picturesque seaside city of Miyazu hosts the Miyazu Toro Nagashi Fireworks Festival. The festivities take place in Shimazaki Park and the Miyazu Bay area–famous for the incredibly scenic Amanohashidate! Like many of the festivals on this list, the Miyazu Toro Nagashi Fireworks Festival is not only a fireworks display, but a traditional summer festival held during the Obon holidays, when Japan lights up with a variety of fire and lantern-related festivities to honor those who have passed on. The event will include Buddhist hymns, followed by the lighting of ancestral boats and lantern floating to safely see off ancestral spirits. Finally, the fireworks display will dazzle the night sky, culminating in a Bon-odori (a traditional dance for Obon festivities) dance contest that will continue until the end of the festival.

Location: Shimazaki Park and Miyazu Bay area, Miyazu City, Kyoto

In late July, Maizuru City lights up the night with the Minato Maizuru Chatta Fireworks Festival. “Chatta,” is a common suffix in the local dialect of Maizuru, so it’s a fitting name for an event like this, filled with local pride. This festival features vibrant displays including the “Minna no Hanabi” (Everybody’s Fireworks), funded by donations from the citizens. The fireworks are launched over Maizuru Bay along the coast of Higashiji Ward, where they reflect beautifully in the water and echo off the surrounding mountains.

Visitors can enjoy food stalls along the coastal road, too, to really take in the Japanese festival atmosphere. When you head to the venue, you’ll just have to walk 15 minutes from JR Higashi-Maizuru Station to join in the festivities.

Location: Higashiji Ward, Maizuru City, Kyoto

The TANGO Yasaka Noryo Fireworks Festival takes place at Tango Kingdom, a large rest stop area in Kyotango in northern Kyoto. The festivities begin in the afternoon, featuring various events, food booths, game booths, and stage performances that will keep visitors entertained throughout the day. The highlight of the festival is of course the fireworks display that lights up the night sky after dark. It’s an afternoon and evening jam-packed with all the summer festival delights.

Location: Tango Kingdom, Kyotango City, Kyoto