Nanbu Fire Festival

Summary

The Nanbu Fire Festival lights up the Fuji River riverbank in Nanbu Town, Yamanashi Prefecture, on August 15, 2026, starting at 20:15. Handed down since the Edo period, the event combines bon send-off fires and prayers for the river with the 'mushi-okuri' custom of driving insect pests from rice fields, and giant torches are its centerpiece. At the climax, 108 bonfires flare along both banks of the Fuji River for about two kilometers, staining the night red. Some 3,000 fireworks follow, including an extra-large star mine, while roughly 50 night stalls line the riverbed. A 3,000-space lot (500 yen per day) is available, and the venue is a 20-minute walk from JR Ubusuna Station.

Overview

Deep-rooted in Nanbu Town since the Edo period, the Fire Festival carries the double meaning of bon send-off fires with prayers for the Fuji River, and of the 'insect-sending' rite that once protected rice crops from pests. Rather than fireworks, the heart of the festival is fire itself: giant handheld torches and rows of bonfires. As night falls, 108 bonfires flare up along some two kilometers of both riverbanks, and the glow on the water is the festival's signature scene. Fireworks then join in with about 3,000 shells, capped by an extra-large star mine. Around 50 night stalls give the riverbed a festival bustle. JR Ubusuna Station is a 20-minute walk away; by car, take Route 52 about ten minutes from Toyosawa or Nanbu Interchange on the Chubu-Odan Expressway, where a 3,000-car lot costs 500 yen per day. The 2026 event is set for August 15 with a 20:15 start.

Details

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