Highlights
- About 20,000 shells across the competition and exhibition displays
- Pyrotechnicians from across Japan compete in starmine, 10-go shell and creative-fireworks categories
- The exhibition Wide Starmine, "Tsuchiura Hanabi-zukushi"
- The Prime Minister's Award goes to the best of the three category winners
Background & story
Running since 1925, Tsuchiura is one of Japan's three great fireworks competitions, where pyrotechnicians nationwide vie in 10-inch shell, starmine and creative-fireworks categories.
The 95th Tsuchiura All Japan Fireworks Competition is on Saturday 7 November 2026, with the competition starting at 17:30 and ending around 20:00. It takes place on the Sakuragawa riverbank near Gakuen Bridge in Tsuchiura, Ibaraki, with about 20,000 shells across the competition and the exhibition displays. If the weather is severe it moves to Saturday 14 November. All seating provided by the organiser is paid — there are no free seats (checked 2026-10-13).
2026 (95th edition) at a glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Date & time | Sat 7 Nov 2026, competition 17:30 – about 20:00 |
| Bad weather | Postponed to Sat 14 Nov; cancelled if it cannot run on either day |
| Rain | Goes ahead in rain as a rule (may be postponed, cancelled or halted in severe weather) |
| Venue | Sakuragawa riverbank near Gakuen Bridge, Tsuchiura, Ibaraki |
| Fireworks | About 20,000 shells (competition + exhibition) |
| Categories | Starmine, 10-go (30 cm) shell, creative fireworks |
| Organiser | Tsuchiura All Japan Fireworks Competition Executive Committee |
| Official site | tsuchiura-hanabi.jp (Japanese) |
Postponement or cancellation is announced on the official festival site, the Tsuchiura City website and the city's official X account; there is no individual notice. If the event is postponed, paid-seat tickets stay valid for the new date. The running order for the night is still marked "in preparation" on the official site (checked 2026-10-13).
Paid seats: prices and 2026 sales status
| Seat | Capacity | Price (tax incl.) |
|---|---|---|
| Sajiki box, full | 5 (4 recommended for adults only) | ¥26,000 |
| Sajiki box, half | 2 | ¥13,000 |
| Sajiki chair seat (new this year) | 1 | ¥12,000 |
| Sajiki table seat | 4 | ¥80,000 |
| Chair seat A / B / C | 1 | ¥6,000 / ¥5,000 / ¥4,000 |
- Seats were sold only by advance online lottery, with no box-office sales. Applications ran 12 August – 10 September and winners were announced on 14 September.
- The resale lottery for winners' unwanted tickets also closed on 2 October. Tickets are posted from mid-October, with a ¥990 delivery charge on top.
- Tickets are designated event tickets: resale for profit without the organiser's consent is prohibited, the organiser has warned about high-priced resales, and tickets bought through illegal resale are not refunded.
- All organiser seating is paid and there is no free seating area. Visitors are asked not to stop and watch from walkways or roads.
Seat locations are on the official paid-seat page (Japanese) and its seating maps.
Getting there: train, shuttle bus, car
- Train: the nearest station is JR Tsuchiura on the Joban Line. The ticket gates get crowded with fare adjustments, so the organiser asks visitors to top up their IC card (Suica, PASMO) or buy a ticket beforehand.
- Shuttle bus: a paid shuttle runs from the east exit of Tsuchiura Station to the venue in about 10 minutes. Check fares and hours on the official shuttle page (Japanese).
- On foot: about 2.5 km from Tsuchiura Station, roughly 30 minutes depending on crowds.
- Car: the nearest exits are Sakura-Tsuchiura IC and Tsuchiura-Kita IC on the Joban Expressway. The city is congested from early in the day and traffic stays heavy late into the night, so the organiser recommends public transport. Organiser parking costs ¥3,000 per car plus a ¥300 service fee (¥2,000 + ¥200 at P11, Craft Civic Hall), and you can park from 13:00 to 22:00 on 7 November (same hours on 14 November if postponed). It was sold by advance lottery, and the second lottery closed on 7 October. Holders can list unwanted parking tickets on the official resale on the TicketPass sales site (Japanese) until 23:59 on 30 October; check there whether any are listed (checked 2026-10-13).
- Road closures, car parks and the walking routes home are on the 95th edition traffic map notice (Japanese, published 8 October, with a PDF map to download).
Getting home and on the night
- After the show, Tsuchiura Station may restrict entry to the station, and a limited-express ticket does not give you priority boarding. Leave plenty of time.
- Paid-seat areas empty block by block at staggered times, with one-way routes. The order and the routes to the bus stops are on the official exit guide (Japanese).
- No food or drink sales are planned inside the paid-seat areas, and the organiser does not recruit or provide space for food stalls. Bring your own snacks and drinks.
For other fireworks dates this year, see Japan's Fireworks (Hanabi) Season 2026: The Dated Calendar.
Checked against the official festival site on 2026-10-13. Prices, times and road closures can change, so check the official site before you travel.
Good to know for visitors
- Getting there
- Paid shuttle bus from the east exit of JR Tsuchiura Station (Joban Line), about 10 minutes (fares and hours on the official shuttle page). On foot about 2.5 km / 30 minutes. Entry to Tsuchiura Station is restricted after the show. Nearest expressway exits: Sakura-Tsuchiura IC and Tsuchiura-Kita IC (Joban Expressway), but traffic is heavy and the organiser recommends public transport. Organiser parking: ¥3,000 + ¥300 fee per car, 13:00–22:00 (lottery closed; official resale until 30 Oct, checked 2026-10-13). Open directions in Google Maps ↗
- Booking & entry
- Check tickets and details on the official page (button above).
- Paying
- All organiser seating is paid (no free seats). Sajiki box full ¥26,000 (5 people), half ¥13,000 (2), sajiki chair seat ¥12,000, sajiki table seat ¥80,000 (4); chair seats A ¥6,000 / B ¥5,000 / C ¥4,000 (tax incl., plus a ¥990 delivery charge). The lottery and the resale lottery have both closed (checked 2026-10-13).. Smaller venues in Japan are often cash-first — carry some yen (cards/IC not guaranteed).
- Language
- Mostly in Japanese — a translation app on your phone helps.
- Good for
- families
Good to know
All organiser seating is paid (no free seats). Tsuchiura Station restricts entry after the show and a limited-express ticket gives no priority, so top up your IC card beforehand and leave time to get home. No food or drink sales are planned inside the paid-seat areas — bring your own (checked 2026-10-13).
Frequently asked questions
- When is the Tsuchiura fireworks festival 2026, and what time does it start?
- The 95th Tsuchiura All Japan Fireworks Competition is on Saturday 7 November 2026, with the competition starting at 17:30 and scheduled to end at 20:00. In severe weather it moves to Saturday 14 November, and it is cancelled if it cannot run on either day (official site, checked 2026-10-13).
- What happens if it rains?
- It goes ahead in rain as a rule, but it can be postponed, cancelled or halted in severe weather. Any postponement or cancellation is announced on the official festival site, the Tsuchiura City website and the city's official X account, with no individual notice. If it is postponed, paid-seat tickets remain valid.
- How much are the paid seats, and can I still buy them?
- Sajiki boxes cost ¥26,000 (full, 5 people) and ¥13,000 (half, 2 people); a sajiki chair seat is ¥12,000, a sajiki table seat for 4 is ¥80,000, and chair seats are ¥6,000 / ¥5,000 / ¥4,000 (A/B/C), tax included. They were sold only by advance lottery, which closed on 10 September; the lottery for resold tickets released by winners closed on 2 October, and there are no box-office sales. Resale for profit without the organiser's consent is prohibited (official site, checked 2026-10-13).
- Can I watch for free?
- All seating provided by the organiser is paid, and there is no free seating area. The organiser also asks people not to stop and watch from walkways or roads, which must stay clear for emergency vehicles and evacuation (checked 2026-10-13).
- How do I get there from Tsuchiura Station?
- A paid shuttle bus runs from the east exit of JR Tsuchiura Station (Joban Line) to the venue in about 10 minutes; check fares and hours on the official shuttle page. On foot it is about 2.5 km, roughly 30 minutes. After the show the station may restrict entry, and a limited-express ticket does not give priority boarding.
- Can I drive? Is there parking?
- The nearest exits are Sakura-Tsuchiura IC and Tsuchiura-Kita IC on the Joban Expressway, but the city is congested from early in the day and late into the night, so the organiser recommends public transport. Organiser parking costs ¥3,000 per car plus a ¥300 service fee (¥2,000 + ¥200 at P11), for parking from 13:00 to 22:00 on 7 November. It was sold by advance lottery and the second lottery closed on 7 October; holders can list unwanted parking tickets on the official resale on the TicketPass site until 23:59 on 30 October, so check there whether any are listed. Road closures and car parks are shown on the official 95th edition traffic map published on 8 October (checked 2026-10-13).
Getting there
Sakuragawa riverbank near Gakuen Bridge — Sakuragawa riverbed, Tsuchiura City, Ibaraki