Ainu prayers, flames, and summer fireworks echoing through the gorge
Daisetsuzan Sounkyo Onsen Gorge Fire Festival / Gorge Fire Festival Summer Fireworks
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Late July to mid-August / Held annually
- Location
- Around the special stage in the Sounkyo Shopping Street (Canyon Mall Plaza) and Sounkyo Park
- Area
- Hokkaido・Kamikawa Town, Kamikawa District(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 30 min–2 h · flight time only)Prefecture-level estimate to a main station or airport, not the venue. Airport access, check-in and onward travel are extra; remote areas and islands can take much longer.
- Features
- Highlights and activities
- Participation / viewing
- Spectators welcome
- Participation fee
- Free
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
Set in the gorge at Sounkyo Onsen, this summer festival lights up the night with religious rites and dances of the Kamikawa Ainu, fire performances, and fireworks.
About Daisetsuzan Sounkyo Onsen Gorge Fire Festival / Gorge Fire Festival Summer Fireworks
A summer festival set in Sounkyo Onsen at the foot of the Daisetsuzan Mountains, featuring religious rites and traditional dances of the Kamikawa Ainu, festival , fire performances, and fireworks.
The scenery and acoustics unique to a gorge surrounded by sheer cliffs are major features of the festival.
Enjoy both the main festival and the summer fireworks that continue from the following day.
Source: 層雲峡温泉峡谷火まつり・夏花火｜イベント｜【公式】北海道の観光・旅行情報サイト HOKKAIDO LOVE!
Festival highlights
Highlights include traditional Kamikawa Ainu dances and festival taiko performed in the gorge, illuminated by torch flames.
Fire performers also take part, filling the venue with fire and sound.
The fireworks illuminate the gorge’s rock walls, creating a dramatic nighttime scene accompanied by thunderous echoes.
Ainu prayers, flames, and summer fireworks echoing through the gorge
What to expect
The main festival features religious rites, traditional dances, and taiko performances, followed by fire performances and fireworks.
During the summer fireworks period, Ainu dances and fire performances are presented on a special stage in Sounkyo Shopping Street, followed by fireworks.
You can enjoy the fireworks while looking up the gorge from the hot spring town.
How to take part
Visitors can watch the event.
参加費：無料
Location and access
- Venue and address
Around the special stage in Sounkyo Shopping Street (Canyon Mall Plaza), Sounkyo, Kamikawa Town, Kamikawa District, Hokkaido.
Sounkyo Park is also listed as a fireworks launch site.
- Train and bus
Take a bus bound for Sounkyo from JR Kamikawa Station. The ride takes about 30 minutes; get off at “Sounkyo,” a short walk from the venue.
- By car
About 25 minutes from Kamikawa-Sounkyo IC on the Asahikawa-Monbetsu Expressway.
- Parking
Free parking is available.
Parking capacity is listed differently across sources: 200 spaces in one listing, or 182 spaces for public parking and 22 for buses in another. Please follow local instructions.
Source: 大雪山層雲峡温泉峡谷火まつり・峡谷火まつり夏花火 / 北海道 -【JAPAN 47 GO】
Address Sounkyo, Kamikawa Town, Kamikawa District, Hokkaido
Dates and season
In 2026, the 64th Gorge Fire Festival main event is scheduled for July 25, followed by summer fireworks from July 26 to August 15.
The summer fireworks start at 8:30 p.m. They proceed in light rain and are canceled in severe weather.
The main festival and summer fireworks take place on different dates, so check the program for the day you plan to visit.
Accommodation and hotels PR
Showing nearby accommodation.
Prices and availability are current at the time of retrieval. For multi-night stays, only the first night’s price is shown. Confirm the final price and directions to the venue with the booking provider. Select your dates again when using the area search link. Search area: within 3 km of Central Hokkaido / Kamikawa Town, Kamikawa District (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
The 2026 event information states that the event will proceed in light rain and be canceled in severe weather.
As this is an outdoor nighttime event featuring fire performances and fireworks, please follow staff instructions and watch from a safe location.
The summer fireworks are scheduled to start at 8:30 p.m.
Nearby attractions
Sounkyo Onsen is near the venue, so you can combine the festival with a stay in the hot spring town.
Attractions listed include the Sounkyo Visitor Center, Kurodake no Yu, Ryusei Falls and Ginga Falls, and the Daisetsuzan Sounkyo Kurodake Ropeway.
All are introduced as attractions in the Sounkyo area of Kamikawa Town.
Origins and History of Daisetsuzan Sounkyo Onsen Gorge Fire Festival / Gorge Fire Festival Summer Fireworks
The festival’s main event features traditional dances passed down among the Kamikawa Ainu and a reenactment of the sending-off of the Blakiston’s fish owl, a traditional Ainu ceremony.
It is also noted that in Ainu culture, animals closely connected with daily life have been revered as kamuy.
Available explanations of when the festival began and how it has changed since then are limited.
Official information
The Sounkyo Tourist Association’s event information is listed as an official source.
The contact is the Sounkyo Tourist Association, and the phone number is 01658-2-1811.
If there are changes to the event decision or venue, check the official website listed in the event information.
Daisetsuzan Sounkyo Onsen Gorge Fire Festival / Gorge Fire Festival Summer Fireworks at a Glance
This summer festival in Sounkyo, at the foot of the Daisetsuzan Mountains, features Ainu religious rites and dances, taiko, fire performances, and fireworks.
In 2026, the main festival on July 25 is followed by summer fireworks from July 26 to August 15.
The light against the gorge’s rock walls and the sounds echoing through the valley are highlights unique to Sounkyo.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/19
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