What this is
Stretching 1.4 kilometres across the Ashida River, the water-based starmine finale on August 15th is one of the longest of its kind in Japan — a genuine spectacle rather than a marketing claim. The three-day festival builds toward that moment: August 13 opens with the Ninoborinodori Dance Competition on Kitahama Street, a prefectural intangible folk cultural property preserving a centuries-old tradition, while August 14 brings the Irohamaru YOSAKOI parade organised by local shopping associations. Around 16,000 fireworks in total, including music-synchronised displays, make the closing night the main draw.
Who should go
Fireworks enthusiasts and anyone curious about regional folk dance traditions will get the most out of all three days. Families are well-suited to the daytime parade on the 14th; the fireworks night on the 15th draws large crowds so it suits those comfortable in a busy festival atmosphere.
Good to know
The festival is free to attend across all three days, though some premium reserved viewing areas for the fireworks on August 15 may require tickets purchased in advance through local outlets or the city's official tourism channels. Cash is strongly recommended for food and drink stalls throughout the festival. The Ashida River viewing area gets extremely crowded on the evening of the 15th — arriving two to three hours early is not unusual for front-row spots. Fukuyama Station is on the JR Sanyo Shinkansen line, making it accessible as a day trip from Hiroshima city (around 30 minutes by Shinkansen). Foreign visitors should note that English signage in Fukuyama is limited, so downloading an offline map and the venue locations in advance is advisable.
This event was sourced and translated from Japanese by What's On Japan. Details may change — verify with the official source before attending.