Lake Biwa Grand Fireworks Festival 2026
Around 12,000 fireworks reflect off Japan's largest lake near Otsu in a 40th-anniversary show fused with drones and lasers.
When · Where
- When
- 2026/08/06 10:30 – 2026/08/06
- Where
- Otsu Port, Lake Biwa（Hamaotsu, Otsu, Shiga 520-0047）
- City
- Kyoto
- Getting there
- Approx. 15-min walk from JR Otsu Station / 5 min from Keihan Biwako-Hamaotsu
- Price
- Free
- Organizer
- Lake Biwa Grand Fireworks Festival Executive Committee
Good to know for visitors
- Getting there
- Approx. 15-min walk from JR Otsu Station / 5 min from Keihan Biwako-Hamaotsu Open directions in Google Maps ↗
- Booking & entry
- Free to attend — details on the official page (button above).
- Language
- Mostly in Japanese — a translation app on your phone helps.
- Good for
- date night, families, groups of friends, culture seekers
Highlights
- About 12,000 shells mirrored on the lake surface
- 40th-anniversary opening with drones and lasers
- Easy day trip from Kyoto, just 10 minutes by train
Background & story
Held since the 1980s on the shores of Lake Biwa, it is Kansai's premier lakeside fireworks event, drawing around 300,000 spectators yearly.
Good to know
Trains back to Kyoto are jammed afterward — consider staying for dinner before heading home.