The peak of the summer fireworks season is over, so this weekend may be your last chance to see a pyrotechnics show in Tokyo. The good news is that there are three of them taking place in Tokyo this Saturday – one of them is even taking place near Tokyo, in Yokohama.

The three fireworks events vary in size. The Edogawa Fireworks Festival, our favorite, is the grandest of the bunch. It features 14,000 rockets and lasts about an hour. The Kanazawa Fireworks Festival also lasts an hour and is held by the sea. The Akishima Citizen Whale Festival Fireworks Festival, on the other hand, might be the least crowded of the three (relatively speaking), as it is held on the outskirts of Tokyo.

24.August

At the Edogawa Fireworks Festival, over 14,000 rockets are launched, with a different theme every few minutes. This is Tokyo’s easternmost hanabi, but don’t be late: The show begins in style, with 1,000 sparkling rockets being launched simultaneously within the first five seconds, providing a stunning prelude to a colorful performance.

The event will take place from 7:15 p.m. to 8:20 p.m. on the banks of the Edogawa River near Shinozaki Park, about a 20-minute walk from Shinozaki Station.

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Yokohama’s southernmost district, Kanazawa, is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its annual fireworks festival this year at the beachfront Marine Park (Yokohama Umi no Koen). A total of 3,500 fireworks will be fired from nearby Hakkeijima Island. Look out for special pyrotechnic effects such as crowd-pleasing giant star mines and a colorful explosion in the shape of Kanazawa District’s mascot, Botan-chan.

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Kujiramatsuri has been celebrated in Tokyo’s Akishima district for over 50 years. The name means “whale festival” in Japanese and the annual celebration began with the discovery of ancient whale fossils on the banks of the Tama River in August 1961.

The festival features around 40 stalls selling traditional Japanese street food such as yakisoba, grilled corn, takoyaki and buttered potatoes. Children can enjoy fun fairground games such as target shooting and yo-yo fishing.

There will be performances by singers, dancers and superhero mascots on both days, but you can only see the 30-minute fireworks display on Saturday, August 24, at 8 p.m. On Sunday, however, there will be a parade from the south exit of Akishima Station to Showa Park, starting at 4 p.m.

For more activities for this weekend, see our curated list of events.

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