The 40th Anniversary 2026 Lake Biwa Grand Fireworks Display

Summary

Lake Biwa Great Fireworks Festival lights up the waters off Otsu Port in Shiga Prefecture on August 6, 2026 — the 40th edition since its 1984 debut. Marking the anniversary, the show adopts a two-part structure for the first time: part one pairs drone shows, lasers and music-synced fireworks, while part two brings back staples such as diagonally fired shakudama. Around 12,000 shells bloom over the lake surface.

Overview

Few fireworks venues match the scale of a whole lake. Launched from the waters off the prefectural Otsu Port area, roughly 12,000 shells rise between 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. on August 6, 2026, their light doubled by the reflection on Lake Biwa. The 40th-anniversary program splits into two parts — a modern first half of drone shows, laser beams and music-synced sequences, followed by classics like the diagonally fired shakudama. Reach the venue on foot in 15 minutes from JR Otsu Station or 5 minutes from Keihan's Biwako-Hamaotsu Station. Traffic restrictions apply nearby and there is no parking, so come by train and expect lakeside paths to be busy.

Details

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