Catch the tail end of summer: Japan’s Grand Fireworks Tour in August

Fireworks, yukata, and ice-cold beer — the things Japanese people just can’t quit in summer. While fireworks festivals across Japan kicked off as early as July, the real highlights actually come in August. According to the readers' interest rankings on the well-known Japanese accommodation booking site Jalan.net (www.jalan.net), the top three are the Sumida River Fireworks Festival (Tokyo), the Naniwa Yodo River Fireworks Festival (Osaka), and the All-Japan National Fireworks Competition at Omagari (Akita Prefecture). Among these, the Omagari Fireworks Festival is grouped with the Nagaoka Festival Grand Fireworks Display (Niigata Prefecture) and the Tsu City National Fireworks Competition (Ibaraki Prefecture) as the Three Great Fireworks Festivals of Japan. The first ranking focuses on transportation convenience, the brilliance of the fireworks, and the variety of entertainment options, while the latter emphasizes the tradition and competitive aspect of fireworks. But if you’re talking about “the more, the merrier,” then the Suwa Lake Fireworks Festival (Nagano Prefecture), with its 40,000 fireworks, stands head and shoulders above the rest.