
Reiwa 8 Himeji Port Festival Maritime Fireworks Festival — over 10,000 vividly colored fireworks are launched in succession
Himeji's port fireworks return September 20 with what the organizers bill as Hyogo's biggest show ever: 10,000-plus shells packed into roughly 70 minutes from 19:40, fired from barges just 300 meters offshore. Every seat is reserved and paid — box plots, chairs and even drive-in vehicle viewing — and a special segment comes from artisans of Omagari, home to one of Japan's three great fireworks competitions.
Shikama Station on the Sanyo Electric Railway is a 25-minute walk away. There is no parking at all — trains are the default — though a temporary shuttle from Shikama Station is planned for ticket holders needing assistance. Stormy weather cancels the event outright, with no rain date. Ticketing followed the official site's schedule, with a final additional release at 10:00 on September 1. Only ticket holders may enter the site, and the food stalls sit inside the ticketed area. The bayside ground catches strong wind, so a windproof layer is wise. Ten-gauge shakudama spheres are on the program. Pair the night with an earlier visit to Himeji Castle, the World Heritage fortress a short train ride inland from the port.