Kanmon Strait Fireworks Festival Finished Flagship event

関門海峡花火大会 — Kitakyushu, Fukuoka (Kyushu)

Staying in Fukuoka? See what else is on in Fukuoka this season →

Date
Thu, August 13, 2026 (The 2026 edition has concluded — 2027 dates are not yet announced)
Venue
Mojiko Retro waterfront, Kanmon Strait (門司港レトロ周辺・下関あるかぽーと周辺)
Scale
~18,000 fireworks · ~1M visitors
Tickets
All areas require paid entry; standard environmental cooperation entry fee raised to \u00a52,000 (from \u00a51,000); early-bird discounts available for reserved/sponsor seats.
Official site
www.kanmon-hanabi.love
Open in Google Maps →

The Kanmon Strait Fireworks Festival is a friendly artillery duel between two prefectures: Moji (Kyushu) and Shimonoseki (Honshu) fire a combined 18,000 shells at each other across the strait on August 13, with ships passing between and a combined crowd of around a million on the two shores. Recent editions add 800-drone shows to the mix — western Japan's biggest fireworks night.

Planning for 2027

The 2026 edition of Kanmon Strait Fireworks Festival was held on Thu, Aug 13. It is usually held on August 13, which in 2027 would fall on Fri, Aug 13. The date itself does not usually move, but the organiser still has to confirm it, so treat it as a planning date rather than a booked one.

The 2027 date has not been published yet. This page is re-checked against the official source and updated as soon as it appears, so it is worth a look again before you book anything non-refundable.

Background

Started in 1985 as a joint revival project by citizens' groups on both shores, the two-city format — separate committees, one synchronized show — remains unique among Japan's major festivals.

Getting there

The Moji side centers on Mojiko Retro's waterfront (2 minutes from JR Mojiko Station), the Shimonoseki side on the Aruka Port area (bus or 15-minute walk from JR Shimonoseki Station). The stations sit 6 minutes apart by train through the undersea tunnel.

Tips

Frequently asked questions

How crowded does Kanmon Strait Fireworks Festival get?
About 1,000,000 people come to Kitakyushu, Fukuoka for it. Trains and roads out of the venue are at their worst in the 30 minutes after the finale — waiting it out is usually faster than joining the crush.

Last verified against the official source: Sat, August 1, 2026

Nearby & related