Three major fireworks festivals in Amanohashidate

Amanohashidate Monjudo
Voyaging Out Ceremony

This festival is held every year on July 24th. It is an event that reproduces the legendary “Kusedo-engi*” that remains in Chionji Temple. Two dragons, gold and silver, dances are played along with the Japanese drums on the aquatic stage where the torches are lit. The festival reaches its climax with many fireworks set off. This time of year, the hotels near the venue accept reservations of Fireworks Viewing Boat Tours operated by us. Please make a reservation if you are interested. You can see the fireworks from the sea on this tour!
Unfortunately, dragons’ dance scheduled to be canceled this year.

Miyazu Toro Nagashi
Fireworks Festival

In Miyazu City, Kyoto Prefecture, Miyazu Toro Nagashi Fireworks Festival, one of Japan’s three major floating lanterns, is held every year on August 16th. Toro nagashi is a Japanese ceremony during the Bon festival in which participants float paper lanterns down a river or sea. It is one of the Buddhist events also called “Obon”. In Buddhism, it is believed that the spirits of family ancestors come back to this world during “Obon” period between July and August, and a series of events take place to welcome them. We send ancestors’ spirits off by releasing lighted lanterns to the sea. Lanterns on the water escort their spirits back to the world they belong. This fireworks display is a traditional event passed down from the Edo period and became its current form in 1924. It is considered to have its origin in that the offering goods were accompanied by small lights and shed into the sea to send the spirits of the ancestors welcomed during the Obon to Gokuraku Jodo (Sukhāvatī) again. The boats called Shorobune are also put to sea by people who lost a family member within a year. They are decorated with bon-lanterns and imitation flowers and are believed to hold the spirits of the deceased on board.

Amanohasidate Winter Fireworks

This Fireworks festival heralds the coming of winter early on the last Sunday of October, just before the fishing season of the Matsuba crab which is Miyazu’s special product opens. Over two thousand fireworks light up the clear autumn sky fascinate the audience. It is unusual to hold a fireworks festival at this time of year, not in the middle of summer, and it is very popular. Since the winter night sky is clear, the fireworks look more beautiful than usual.
This fireworks festival was first held in 2005. It was held as the event to commemorate the 1,300th anniversary of the establishment of Nariaiji temple, the 28th temple of the 33 Temples of Kansai Kannon Pilgrimage, at about the midpoint of Mt. Nariai, which commands a bird’s‐eye view of the Amanohashidate.

Note; The image of the Gomadaki (the Buddhist rite of burning wood sticks) for illustrative purposes only. The photo was taken during the lighting event in November, actual state may vary.