Sumidagawa Fireworks Festival 隅田川花火大会

Every year on the last Saturday of July, the sky over the Sumida River lights up as the Sumidagawa Fireworks Festival gets into full swing. Expect a warm evening, large crowds, lots of food and drink and thousands of fireworks.

Fireworks can be viewed from many locations in Asakusa. As this is an urban fireworks display, there are no bleacher seats available. Please follow the traffic regulations around the venues, or block or sit in traffic.

The Sumidagawa Fireworks Festival is said to have originated from the Ryogoku Kawaki-no-Kiraki Fireworks launched by the 8th shogun, Tokugawa Yoshimune, in 1733 to pray for the end of a famine and to ward off evil spirits. It is considered the oldest fireworks festival on record. It is one of Tokyo's largest and most urban fireworks displays and the view of the colorful lights surrounding Tokyo Skytree is particularly stunning. Pyrotechnic companies compete to show off their finest works, often introducing new types of fireworks during the event.

The best place to see the fireworks is by the river, but it is usually quite crowded, as nearly a million people visit each year. It is recommended to wear comfortable clothes that make it easy to walk while viewing fireworks. Maps are available on the festival website but in Japanese only.