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Hitoyoshi Fireworks Festival

人吉花火大会

Hitoyoshi Fireworks Festival is a fireworks festival held in Kyushu. Date: Mid-August (August 15, 2026 confirmed). Total shells: about ~5,000. Attendance: 推定30,000人. No. 71回 (2026年)

Event essentials

Headline stats

Total Shells
~5,000
Duration
60 min
Nights
1 night(s)
Attendance
推定30,000人
Largest Shell
Not confirmed in the sources checked (2026-10-20 pass)
Founding Year
1956

Signature Sequences

  1. 01Nakagawara Park on the Kumagawa riverbed is the venue, with the launch site close to the viewing area
  2. 02The 2026 edition was the 71st, a long-running series
  3. 03About 30 food stalls in the Furusato Rekishi Hiroba

Venue & Access

Time Window
Firing 19:30-20:30 (60 minutes of shells)
Venue
Kumagawa Riverbed
Address
18-4 Fumoto-cho, Hitoyoshi City, Kumamoto Prefecture (address of the Furusato Rekishi Hiroba viewing area)
Venue Size
Not confirmed in the sources checked (2026-10-20 pass)
Venue Floor Type
Not confirmed in the sources checked (2026-10-20 pass)
Gates Open
From about 18:00, when the guest performance starts; the car parks are open 18:00-21:30
Paid-Seat Holder Entry
Not confirmed in the sources checked (2026-10-20 pass)
Spectator Capacity
Not confirmed in the sources checked (2026-10-20 pass)
Launch Company
Not publicly disclosed (Hitoyoshi Fireworks Executive Committee)
Production Company
Not confirmed in the sources checked (2026-10-20 pass)
Sponsor
Hitoyoshi City and the Hitoyoshi Chamber of Commerce (official page of 3 August 2026: organisers Hitoyoshi City, mayor Hayato Matsuoka, and the Hitoyoshi Chamber of Commerce, chair Hiroaki Iwashita)

Access

From major cities

From Tokyo
About 3 h by Kyushu Shinkansen to Kumamoto Station, then about 1 h by limited express to Hitoyoshi Station; by car, the Kyushu Expressway via Kumamoto IC to Hitoyoshi IC
From Osaka
About 4.5 h by Kyushu Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka to Kumamoto Station, then about 1 h to Hitoyoshi
From Sendai
About 3 h by Tohoku Shinkansen to Hakata, then the Kyushu Shinkansen south to Kumamoto and Hitoyoshi
Nearest Station
JR Hitoyoshi Station (Kyushu Shinkansen / Hisatsu Line); the venue is on the riverbed in the town centre
Nearest Shinkansen
Kumamoto Station (Kyushu Shinkansen). Hitoyoshi has no Shinkansen station
Local Transit
The area around the venue is heavily restricted for cars and parking, so public transport means walking in from JR Hitoyoshi Station into the town centre. No shuttle is documented
Parking
About 820 cars around the venue; the temporary car park is open 18:00-21:30
Parking Reservation
No reservation. Use the signed car parks or the temporary car park on the day; parking outside the hours or outside the designated lots is not permitted
Lodging Strategy
The Hitoyoshi onsen district is close to the venue and ryokan sell out early in mid-August; book well ahead
English Access
Not confirmed in the sources checked (2026-10-20 pass)
Cash Required
Free entry and no paid seats. Food stalls take cash and transit IC cards
Best Arrival
Not confirmed in the sources checked (2026-10-20 pass)
Peak Crowd
19:30-20:30, the firing window, is the densest; the venue area starts filling from the 16:00 hour

Tickets

Weather Policy

Rain
Cancelled in storm
Decision Time
Not confirmed in the sources checked (2026-10-20 pass)
Postponement
In stormy weather the show moves to Friday 28 August 2026, then to Friday 11 September 2026
Wind Threshold
Not confirmed in the sources checked (2026-10-20 pass)
Typical Risks
Mid-August in the Kumamoto basin brings extreme heat and thunderstorms; the show runs in light rain and is postponed in storms
Weather Cancellation History
Not confirmed in the sources checked (2026-10-20 pass)

Sources and verification

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