Morioka Fireworks Festival 2026 Confirmed

盛岡花火の祭典 — Morioka, Iwate (Tohoku)

Morioka's summer fireworks festival sends about 10,000 shells over the Kitakami River south of the city, a relaxed mid-sized show that pairs well with a visit to one of Tohoku's most likeable castle towns. It usually lands around August 11, in the middle of the Obon travel window.

Background

The festival is organized by the Morioka Chamber of Commerce and has been the city's main summer fireworks event for decades, moving to a paid-entry format in recent years to keep it sustainable.

Getting there

The venue is the Kitakami riverbank near Tonan-ohashi Bridge, south of central Morioka; buses run from JR Morioka Station, and taxis take about 15 minutes. Morioka is about 2h10m from Tokyo by Tohoku Shinkansen.

Tips

• Entry is paid (advance tickets from around ¥800) — cheap by national standards, and it keeps crowds manageable.
• It falls in Obon week, so book Shinkansen seats and hotels early.
• Morioka was named one of the New York Times' places to visit in 2023 — arrive a day early for the city's coffee shops, wanko soba and castle ruins.