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Ueki Onsen Summer Festival Fireworks

植木温泉納涼花火大会

Ueki Onsen Summer Festival Fireworks is a fireworks festival held in Kyushu. Date: Early August (6 August 2019, 7 August 2018). No 2026 notice appears on the organiser site. Total shells: about 約5,000発 (推定). Attendance: 約15,000人 (推定). No. 33回 (2017年) → 第42回 (2026年 想定)

Event essentials

Headline stats

Total Shells
約5,000発 (推定)
Duration
60 minutes (20:00-21:00 in 2018) min
Nights
1 night(s)
Attendance
約15,000人 (推定)
Largest Shell
6号 shell - the largest shell size recorded in 2019
Founding Year
1985

Signature Sequences

  1. 01Shells go up on the Goshikawa riverbed right in front of the onsen street, very close to the launch site
  2. 026号 shells including a Niagara-type firework (2019 record)
  3. 03No confirmed edition since 2019; the organiser carries no 2026 notice

Venue & Access

Time Window
Firing starts at 20:00 (the same hour in the 2019 record and the 2010 Kumamoto City listing)
Venue
Gōshi Riverbed (downstream of Yonezuka Bridge)
Address
124-1 Yonezuka, Ueki-cho, Kita-ku, Kumamoto City (861-0115)
Venue Size
Not confirmed in the sources checked (2026-10-20 pass)
Venue Floor Type
Not confirmed in the sources checked (2026-10-20 pass)
Gates Open
The venue area starts filling from 18:00. The companion event たそこ“夢”夏まつり opens at 17:00 and the car parks are already full around 17:30
Paid-Seat Holder Entry
Not confirmed in the sources checked (2026-10-20 pass)
Spectator Capacity
Not confirmed in the sources checked (2026-10-20 pass)
Launch Company
Not published
Production Company
Kaneda Fireworks Co., Ltd (recorded for the 35th edition in 2019)
Sponsor
Ueki Onsen Tourism Federation (植木温泉観光旅館組合), the organiser named on its own official site

Access

From major cities

From Tokyo
About 3 h by Kyushu Shinkansen to Kumamoto, then about 20 min by JR Kagoshima Main Line to Ueki and 5 min by car
From Osaka
About 4.5 h by Kyushu Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka to Kumamoto, then the Kagoshima Main Line to Ueki
From Sendai
About 3 h by Tohoku Shinkansen to Hakata, then the Kyushu Shinkansen and the Kagoshima Main Line
Nearest Station
JR Ueki Station on the Kagoshima Main Line, about 20 min by car
Nearest Shinkansen
Kumamoto Station (Kyushu Shinkansen). Ueki Station is a conventional-line station
Local Transit
There is little public transport near the venue: about 20 min by taxi from JR Ueki Station, or about 40 min on the Sanei Bus to Yamasake Onsen from the Kumamoto transit centre, with a stop at Ueki Onsen right by the venue
Parking
About 1,500 cars, free (2019 record)
Parking Reservation
No reservation; free parking with about 1,500 spaces (2019 record)
Lodging Strategy
Guests at the Ueki Onsen ryokan can walk to the venue; rooms sell out early in August
English Access
Not confirmed in the sources checked (2026-10-20 pass)
Cash Required
Not confirmed in the sources checked (2026-10-20 pass)
Best Arrival
Aim for before 17:30. Getting out of the riverbed car park is hard after that, so enter the venue by 18:00 and claim a spot on the river bank
Peak Crowd
20:00, when the firing starts, is the densest moment. The car parks fill by about 17:30 and the venue area starts to move from 18:00

Tickets

Weather Policy

Rain
Held in rain; cancelled in severe weather
Decision Time
Not confirmed in the sources checked (2026-10-20 pass)
Postponement
Held in light rain; in 2019 a storm moved the show to Wednesday 21 August. No shuttle bus
Wind Threshold
Not confirmed in the sources checked (2026-10-20 pass)
Typical Risks
Northern Kumamoto in August brings extreme heat and sudden thunderstorms; storms push the show to a later date
Weather Cancellation History
Not confirmed in the sources checked (2026-10-20 pass)

Sources and verification

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