
ICHIKAI Autumn Festival brings about 3,000 shells to a special venue around the Ichikai town hall in Tochigi on October 17, 2026, launching from 6:00 p.m. The small town's crowd estimate — roughly 15,000 — shows how completely the festival owns the region's mid-October evening. Free admission, food stalls, and town-hall-area parking keep it straightforward; the early start suits families.
Ichikai, a small town in Tochigi's Haga district, treats its autumn festival as the year's main event, and the numbers agree. On October 17, 2026, from 6:00 p.m., about 3,000 shells launch from a special venue built around the town hall, and some 15,000 people come to watch — a figure that doubles the town for a night. The 6:00 p.m. start is family-friendly, leaving even young children daylight for the food stalls first. Admission is free and unticketed; stalls run through the grounds, and parking clusters around the town-office area. The town hall's industry-promotion division organizes the festival, with details on the municipal website. For Tokyo day-trippers, Ichikai sits close enough for an evening round trip.
A town-hall-ground show: 3,000 free shells before 15,000 in Ichikai, Tochigi.