Fireworks events in Kanagawa Prefecture in the summer of 2022
These days, the scent of summer is gradually becoming stronger in the air.
For me, having grown up in Kanagawa Prefecture, the fireworks of the Yokohama Port Festival always signal the start of summer.
On those warm nights, still a little too early to call it summer, I would look up at the sky in my yukata, my heart filled with excitement at the arrival of summer. Now that I'm an adult, I no longer have those seemingly endless summer vacations, and I'm busy working under the scorching sun or in overly air-conditioned rooms, so summer is no longer just fun. Yet, the fact that my heart still dances at concepts unique to summer, such as "fireworks," "the sound of cicadas," and "the smell of sunscreen," is perhaps a privilege only possible because I live in a country where we can enjoy all four seasons.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, many fireworks displays have been canceled in recent years, but this year, events where you can enjoy fireworks are gradually resuming in Kanagawa Prefecture. This article will introduce some noteworthy fireworks events in the prefecture this summer of 2022.
● Yugawara Hot Spring Fireworks Festival
Date (tentative): August 3rd (Wed), or August 6th (Sat) in case of rain.
The Yugawara Onsen Fireworks Festival is the grand finale of the Yugawara Yassamatsuri, a festival that greatly enlivens the summer in Yugawara. After the vibrant festival is enlivened on the ground by colorful floats chanting "Yassa, Mossa," the stage shifts to the sky on the second night, where approximately 6,000 fireworks bring the festival to a close. The fireworks, launched with Sagami Bay as a backdrop, illuminate not only the night sky but also the surface of the sea in vivid colors, creating a truly fantastical scene. Underwater starbursts, unique to a sea-based display, are also a popular feature. This fireworks festival, where you can gaze up at the fireworks while feeling the pleasant sea breeze and then relax in the hot springs afterward, is a popular event that attracts many people from both within and outside the prefecture.
● Izu Yugawara Hot Spring Summer Fireworks Festival
Date (tentative): July 23rd (Sat), or August 27th (Sat) if postponed.
Also from Yugawara, the "Izu Yugawara Onsen Summer Fireworks Festival" is popular as "the closest fireworks display in Japan." Held at Izumi Park in the heart of the Yugawara Onsen town, it features approximately 2,000 fireworks and the rare "Enshu Tezutsu Fireworks," which are not often seen at regular fireworks displays. In the "Tezutsu Fireworks," pyrotechnicians actually hold tubes in their hands and launch fireworks into the sky from about 100 tubes. While fireworks are often associated with a beautiful and ephemeral image, here you can experience a powerful and impressive spectacle. The subsequent fireworks are launched within the park, so you are very close to the fireworks and can enjoy them with all your senses, from the sound of the launches to the smell of gunpowder. This fireworks festival offers a variety of fireworks to enjoy up close, including popular starmines and musical fireworks that are launched in time with music.
● Hakone Gora Onsen Daimonji-yaki
Date (tentative): August 16th (Tue)
Next, we introduce a summer tradition in Hakone that can be enjoyed alongside fireworks. The Hakone Gora Onsen Daimonji-yaki, now in its 101st year, is considered one of Hakone's three major festivals and has been held for many years to entertain tourists and summer visitors, as well as to serve as a farewell fire for the Obon festival. The character "大" (dai), made using approximately 200 to 300 torches, is quite large, with the first stroke measuring 108 meters, the second 162 meters, and the third 81 meters. As the fireworks signaling the ignition are launched, the character "大" slowly emerges on Mt. Myojogatake, which is 924 meters above sea level, a sight that truly symbolizes Japanese summer. Not to be outdone by the Daimonji-yaki, the fireworks are varied and include popular "starmines" and "Niagara Falls" displays, brilliantly illuminating the night sky.
●Shonan Hiratsuka Fireworks Festival
Date (tentative): August 26th (Friday), or August 28th (Sunday) in case of rain.
Photo courtesy of Hiratsuka City Tourism Association
At the end of August, the Shonan Hiratsuka Fireworks Festival lights up the skies of Shonan. This fireworks display, held on the beach, is a symbol of summer in Shonan. It had been canceled for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but this year it will be revived after a three-year hiatus. Held in Shonan Itako (at the mouth of the Sagami River), the festival begins with a taiko drum performance, followed by the launch of approximately 3,000 fireworks each year. It originated in 1951 as the "Suga Summer Fireworks Festival" started by the residents of the local Suga district, and has since become a popular event indispensable to summer in Shonan, under the auspices of the local tourism association. A wide variety of fireworks, including large shells and starbursts, bloom in all directions, and the "Hanabi-lusion" at the end, where starbursts are launched to the accompaniment of music, is a must-see.
I highly recommend visiting the area and experiencing Japanese summer firsthand.
