Kiwa Fire Festival

Summary

The Kiwa Fire Festival takes over the Kitayama River gravel bed in Kiwa-cho, Kumano City, Mie, on Saturday, August 1, 2026, closing with 500 fireworks from 9 p.m. The centerpiece hashimatsuri ritual sees flaming torches hurled at bamboo baskets mounted on a roughly 20-meter pillar pine — a safety prayer passed down from the town's log-rafting days. A free 500-space lot serves the venue from 6 to 11 p.m.

Overview

Held on the Kitayama River gravel bed in front of the Irokawa Onsen Hotel Seiryuso, the festival carries the wish of casting every calamity into the night sky along with the torches. In the hashimatsuri ritual, participants whirl rope-tethered torches and hurl them toward the bamboo baskets fixed atop a pillar pine about 20 meters tall — a rite rooted in the prayers of the raftsmen who once worked these waters, for safe passage, good health and good catches. The night closes with 500 fireworks from 9 to 9:15 p.m. The venue is car-access country: about 30 minutes from Kumano-Odomari IC via Routes 42 and 311, with a free 500-space lot open from 6 to 11 p.m.

Details

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