The 10 fireworks not to be missed during the summer 夏の花火大会ランキング

Japan doesn't mess with fireworks. We have selected for you the 10 biggest hanabi of the summer which launch more than 15,000 rockets into the air, for an unforgettable show and stars in your eyes.

• Noshiro Fireworks (Akita Prefecture)

In northern Japan, this large-scale fireworks display receives 200,000 visitors each year who gather around the port city of Noshiro to admire the rockets that light up the sky above the Sea of Japan .

Date: July 21, 2018 from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Address: Port of Noshiro, Shimohama, Akita
Number of rockets: 15,000
Access: Noshiro station (JR Gono line) then shuttle bus or 30-minute walk

• Kashiwazaki Fireworks (Niigata Prefecture)

250 kilometers north of Tokyo , the "great fireworks of the sea" closes the Gion Kashiwazaki festival during which locals perform traditional dances and parade floats in a parade.

Date: July 26, 2018 from 7:30 p.m. to 9:10 p.m.
Address: Minatomachi Seaside Park, Kashiwazaki, Niigata
Number of rockets: 15,000
Access: Kashiwazaki station (JR Shinetsu and Echigo lines) then 15 minutes on foot

• Sumida River Fireworks (Tokyo Prefecture)

Certainly the most popular fireworks display in Japan and also the one that attracts the most people, with around one million visitors each year. It will be necessary to get up early to reserve a place , in order to have the ideal view of one of the two fireworks which take place at the same time around the historic district of Asakusa .

Date: July 28, 2018 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Address: On the banks of the Sumida River, Asakusa, Tokyo
Number of rockets: 20,000
Access: Asakusa stations (Tobu, Tokyo Metro, Toei or Tsukuba lines), Tokyo Skytree (Tobu line), Honjo Azumabashi (Tokyo Metro) or Oshiage (Keisei, Toei, Tobu and Tokyo Metro lines)

• Shinmei Fireworks (Yamanashi Prefecture)

In the small town of Ichikawamisato, known for its traditional washi paper crafts and fireworks, more rockets are launched than there are people . But there are nearly 240,000 curious people who make the trip to attend the biggest fireworks display in the prefecture located in the heart of Japan.

Date: August 7, 2018 from 7:15 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Address: Takata, Ichikawamisato, Nishi Yatsushiro, Yamanashi
Number of rockets: 20,000
Access: Ichikawa Daimon station (JR line) then 10 minutes walk

• Utsunomiya Fireworks (Tochigi Prefecture)

Less than an hour from Tokyo by shinkansen , the prefectural capital of Tochigi greets you with the fireworks display that boasts the highest number of rockets in the region. The event has grown in size over the years and attracted nearly 400,000 people last year .

Date: August 11, 2018 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Address: Dojuku, Utsunomiya, Tochigi
Number of rockets: 30,000 (compared to 20,000 in 2017)
Access: Utsunomiya station (JR Shinkansen Tohoku and Yamagata, Nikko and Tohoku lines) then shuttle bus

• Fukuroi Enshu Fireworks (Shizuoka Prefecture)

Put on a yukata to come and admire the Fukuroi fireworks during which the greatest professionals of Japan compete in music . Right in the center of Shizuoka Prefecture, you can take advantage of your visit to explore the Japanese countryside .

Date: August 11, 2018 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Address: Aino, Fukuroi, Shizuoka
Number of rockets: 25,000
Access: Aino or Fukuroi stations (JR Tokaido line) then 20 minutes on foot

• Kachimai Fireworks (Hokkaido Prefecture)

It's not just a huge fireworks display, but a performance combining explosions, play of light and music . The opportunity to discover the great Japanese north to escape the stifling and moist heat of August on the main island.

Date: August 13, 2018 from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Number of rockets: 20,000
Access: Obihiro station (JR line) then 20 minutes walk
Address: On the banks of the Tokachi, Obihiro, Hokkaido rivers

• Kanmon Strait Fireworks (Yamaguchi Prefecture)

The Kanmon Strait separates the main island of Honshu and the island of Kyushu to the west and it is above this that an impressive fireworks display takes place which attracts more than a million people each year . You can watch the show from both sides of the bridge that connects the two islands!

Date: August 13, 2018 from 7:50 p.m. to 8:40 p.m.
Number of rockets: 15,000
Access: Shimonoseki (Honshu side) or Mojiko (Kyushu side) stations
Address: On the banks of the Kanmon Strait, Arukapoto, Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi

• Lake Suwa Fireworks (Nagano Prefecture)

One of the most gigantic fireworks in the country to discover in the center of Japan. Moreover, every day is organized a small fireworks of 15 minutes during the summer. The sound of the explosions bounces off the surrounding mountains for a tenfold effect.

Date: August 15, 2018 at 7 p.m.
Number of rockets: 40,000
Access: Kami Suwa station (JR line) then 10 minutes walk
Address: Lake Suwa, Suwa, Nagano

Read: Lake Suwa

• Omagari Fireworks (Akita Prefecture)

Nearly 800,000 visitors go to the north of the main island to admire the fireworks display, which sees teams of fireworkers from all over the country compete. Existing since 1910 , it is one of Tohoku's most popular events.

Date: August 25, 2018 at 5:30 p.m. and 6:50 p.m.
Number of rockets: 18,000
Access: Omagari station (JR line) then 30 minutes on foot
Address: Omagari, Daisen, Akita