With more than 20,000 firework displays lasting for about 2 hours, the Shinmei festival is one of the most recognizable in Japan. The culmination of the event is a flowery firework display that reaches up to 500 meters in diameter. A real explosion of colours that will be remembered for a long time.
The Shinmei festival takes place in the town of Ichikawamisato in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan in early August. Over 200,000 tourists come to watch the fireworks along the banks of the Fuefuki River. The main type of fireworks used in the Shinmei festival are the nishakudama, which reach about 60 cm in diameter. Since only 15,000 residents live in Ichikawamisato, more fireworks are exploded during the festival than there are residents. The fireworks are designed in a particular way to tell a story. You can get a free program during the festival that explains all the themes of the show. And according to a Japanese tradition, fireworks are always synchronized to music.
Most people watch the Shinmei Festival from the Fuefuki River banks, so if you want to find a less crowded spot you can watch it from the banks of the parallel Kamanashi river. The fireworks can be seen for several kilometres, so it's possible to find a quiet location. It's also possible to reserve seats, but they are rather limited.
