Events where you can enjoy fireworks in Kanagawa Prefecture in the summer of 2022

The smell of summer is gradually becoming stronger in the air these days.
For me, who grew up in Kanagawa Prefecture, the fireworks at the Yokohama Port Opening Festival mark the start of summer every year.
In the warm night, when it is still a little early to call it summer, I looked up at the sky in my yukata and felt excited at the arrival of summer. Now that I am an adult, I no longer have the seemingly eternal summer vacation, and I am busy working under the scorching sun or in a room too cold by the air conditioner, so summer is no longer all fun and games. Even so, I still get excited by concepts unique to summer such as "fireworks," "the sound of cicadas," and "the smell of sunscreen," perhaps it is a privilege of living in a country where we can enjoy the four seasons.
Due to COVID-19, many fireworks festivals have been canceled in recent years, but this year events where you can enjoy fireworks are gradually returning in Kanagawa Prefecture. In this article, we will introduce some noteworthy events where you can enjoy fireworks in the prefecture in the summer of 2022.

●Yugawara Onsen Fireworks Festival
Date (tentative): Wednesday, August 3rd (Saturday, August 6th if it rains)

The Yugawara Onsen Fireworks Display marks the finale of the Yugawara Yassa Festival, which livens up the summer in Yugawara. After the colorful floats liven up the ground with the sounds of "Yassa, Mossa," the stage shifts to the sky on the second night, where approximately 6,000 fireworks will conclude the festival. The fireworks, set off with Sagami Bay at their back, not only illuminate the night sky but also the sea surface in vivid colors, creating a truly fantastical scene. One of the popular performances is the underwater star mine, which can only be seen at sea. This fireworks display, where you can look up at the fireworks while feeling the pleasant sea breeze, and then relax in the hot springs after it's over, is a popular event that draws many people from inside and outside the prefecture.

Izu Yugawara Onsen Summer Fireworks Festival
Scheduled date: July 23rd (Saturday), or August 27th (Saturday) if postponed

Also from Yugawara, the Izu Yugawara Onsen Summer Fireworks Festival is known as the "closest fireworks display in Japan." It is held at Izumi Park in the center of Yugawara Onsen town, and you can enjoy a collaboration of about 2,000 fireworks and the "Enshu Tezutsu Fireworks," which are rarely seen at regular fireworks festivals. In the "Tezutsu Fireworks," firework artists actually hold the tubes in their hands and launch fireworks into the sky from about 100 tubes. Fireworks have a strong image of beautiful and fleeting, but here you can experience a powerful and impressive impact. The following fireworks are launched within the park, so you can get very close to them and enjoy the sound of the launch and the smell of gunpowder with all five senses. This is a fireworks festival where you can enjoy a wide variety of fireworks up close, including the popular Starmine and musical fireworks that are launched along with music.

●Hakone Gora Onsen Daimonji Yaki
Date (tentative): August 16th (Tuesday)

Next, we will introduce a Hakone summer tradition that can be enjoyed along with fireworks. The Hakone Gora Onsen Daimonjiyaki, which will be held for the 101st time this year, is one of the three major festivals in Hakone, and has been held for many years to entertain tourists and summer vacationers, and as a farewell bonfire for the Obon festival. The character "大" (大) made of about 200 torches is quite large, with the first stroke being 108 meters, the second stroke being 162 meters, and the third stroke being 81 meters. As the fireworks signaling the ignition are launched, the character "大" slowly rises up on Mt. Myojogatake, which is 924 meters above sea level, and it can be said to be a scene that truly symbolizes the Japanese summer. The fireworks that shine just as brightly as the Daimonjiyaki are rich in variety, including the popular "Starmine" and "Niagara Falls," and they vividly light up the night sky.

●Shonan Hiratsuka Fireworks Festival
Scheduled date: Friday, August 26th (Sunday, August 28th if it rains)

Photo courtesy of Hiratsuka City Tourism Association
At the end of August, the Shonan Hiratsuka Fireworks Festival lights up the Shonan sky. This fireworks festival is held on the seaside, a symbol of summer in Shonan. It was canceled for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but this year it will be revived for the first time in three years. This festival, which takes place at the mouth of the Sagami River in Shonan, starts with a taiko drum performance and usually sees about 3,000 fireworks being launched. It originated in 1951 as the Suga Summer Fireworks Festival by local residents of the Suga area, and has since become a popular event that is an indispensable part of the Shonan summer under the auspices of the tourist association. A wide variety of fireworks, including shakudama and star mines, bloom in abundance, and the "Hanabillusion" at the end, where star mines are set off to music, is a must-see.

I hope you will visit the area and experience the Japanese summer for yourself.