Kachimai Fireworks Festival 2026 Finished Flagship event

勝毎花火大会 — Obihiro, Hokkaido (Hokkaido)

The Kachimai Fireworks Festival in Obihiro is Hokkaido's biggest fireworks production: roughly 20,000 shells over the Tokachi River on the fixed date of August 13, built around theatrical, music-synchronized program blocks and a finale that regularly leaves the crowd silent before it erupts. It is produced by the local Tokachi Mainichi newspaper, which treats it as an annual showcase rather than a small-town display.

Background

Started by the Tokachi Mainichi Shimbun newspaper company in 1929, the festival grew into a production famous nationwide for pairing large-scale pyrotechnics with music and lighting design.

Getting there

The venue is the Tokachi River embankment south of central Obihiro, about a 30-minute walk from JR Obihiro Station; shuttle and route buses also run from the station area on the day. Obihiro is about 2.5 hours from Sapporo by limited express.

Tips

• The whole viewing area is ticketed — buy seats in advance through the official site rather than planning to stand outside.
• August 13 is fixed regardless of weekday, with August 14 as the rain date; Obi-Bon week means hotels in Obihiro sell out early, so book lodging as soon as you commit.
• The music-synced finale is the signature — stay to the very end.
• Bring warm layers; Tokachi evenings can drop surprisingly cold even in August.

Last verified against the official source: Sun, August 2, 2026