The 44th Ashoro Furusato Bon Odori & Ryōgoku Fireworks Festival

Summary

A genuine small-town summer festival in Ashoro, eastern Hokkaido: the 44th hometown Bon-odori evening combined with the Ryogoku fireworks show. Around 8,000 shells go up in time with music across a 40-minute program on August 15, 2026, alongside costumed and children's Bon dance contests, food stalls and festival booths. The 2025 edition drew roughly 26,000 visitors — a huge crowd for a town this size.

Overview

Set on the riverbed below Ryogoku Bridge over the Ribetsu River, this is a chance to see a real rural Obon celebration rather than a big-city fireworks production. In 2026 it runs from 19:30 to 20:10 on Saturday, August 15. The fireworks are launched in sync with music, and the dance contest — with costumed and children's divisions — plus food stalls and carnival booths mean families can settle in for the whole evening. Parking is free for about 700 cars at Satomigaoka Sports Park and the town office, though the exit crawl after the finale is slow. By train, ride the Tokachi Bus toward Rikubetsu from Ikeda Station for about 60 minutes, get off at Ashoro and walk five minutes. By car it is roughly 10 minutes from the Ashoro interchange on the Doto Expressway, but expect traffic restrictions around the venue on the day. Mid-August nights in eastern Hokkaido cool down fast, so pack a light jacket.

Details

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