Fireworks over the Water

If you'll be in the Tokyo area during the summer, don't miss the chance to head over to Chiba for this famous fireworks event! Fireworks are a hugely popular part of celebrating the excitement of summer in Japan. Festivals where people gather to watch the colorful explosions and have a good time are ingrained in modern Japanese culture! These events happen all over the country, with long fireworks exhibitions alongside a fun festival atmosphere, but the yearly festival in Chiba is particularly famous. 

Many festival celebrants like to dress up in traditional Japanese yukata (which are a bit different from formal kimono!) to enjoy the festivities. The fireworks at Tateyama Bay go off right over the water, which results in a spectacular view, but the beach offers its own kind of fun. Stalls selling festival food and offering fun games for children (and children at heart) line the surrounding streets.

The stalls here are selling chocolate covered bananas, and Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki.

If you're picky about where you sit to see the fireworks, you might want to get there early.

The festival is held yearly on August 8th, although it is sometimes postponed due to weather conditions. Since it's all about the fireworks, they last a good long time! From 19:15 to 20:45, the show goes on for more than an hour. It's best to find a nice place to recline, and then sit back, relax, and enjoy the show. Standing the whole time would probably be exhausting!

The festival location is basically the beach area off of Tateyama Bay, and you can get there by walking right over from JR Tateyama Station's west exit. It's less than 5 minutes from the train station, but if you want a great spot to sit on the beach, don't cut it too close!

If you choose to drive over, the area will get pretty crowded and traffic won't be great. The event officially recommends that you try to find parking a little ways away, and then walk the rest of the way to the beach. If you do this, though, it's a great opportunity to stop at a nearby convenience store and stock up on cheap chilled drinks and snacks. You'll be all ready to hang out on the sand.

(For our readers 20 years or older, drinking on the beach is legal in Japan. Feel free to grab an adult beverage while you watch the show. Just don't get too drunk; please stay polite for everyone's sake! 🍻)

An hour and fifteen minutes of fireworks!

More than 10,000 fireworks will be set off!

With the warm sand and the lights sparkling over the water, the event is fun for kids, but also very romantic for any lovebirds out there. You can even dress up with a friend in matching yukatas!

A popular way to finish off a summer night like this in Japan is to get your own sparklers, and play with them near home. You can even get little fireworks like this at many convenience stores in Japan. Spend the night appreciating both the majesty of the fireworks above the bay, and the small pleasure of holding your own sparkler. ⁂

I don't know about you, but I can't wait to get out there already and enjoy the warm summer air! We still have a few more months to go before the Tateyama festival, though, so in the meantime there's plenty else to do during the summer in Japan! Head to central Japan for festivals in Fukui, or stick around in Tokyo for other local events.