Hofu Tenmangu Shrine Birthday Festival Fireworks

Summary

The Hofu Tenmangu Gotanjo-sai fireworks celebrate the birthday of the deity Sugawara no Michizane in Hofu City, Yamaguchi, on August 5, 2026, from 8:30 to 9:00 pm. The shrine's three-day festival (August 3–5) builds through observances such as the Manto-no-Yube lantern evening before about 4,000 shells — star mines included — rise from two launch sites near the shrine grounds. The three days together draw some 35,000 visitors. JR Hofu Station's Tenjin exit is a 20-minute walk; free parking opens at four lots for 500 cars from 3:00 to 10:00 pm.

Overview

Few fireworks shows are tied this closely to a shrine: the launch points sit right by the Hofu Tenmangu precincts, so the bursts open above the neighborhood streets where festival-goers wander between the shrine and the food stalls. The Manto-no-Yube lantern evening and other observances run across the three festival days, and the fireworks mark their culmination on the 5th. Because the 500 free parking spaces open only from 3:00 pm and fill on a first-come basis, the shrine and the city recommend arriving by train — a 20-minute walk from JR Hofu Station.

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