Throwing Torches: Fire and Drums Carrying on the Legacy of the Karigane Embankment
Karigane Festival
The 2026 edition of Karigane Festival has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/10/03Ended
- Season / frequency
- The first Saturday of every October / Every year
- Location
- Karigane Park
- Area
- Shizuoka Prefecture・Fuji City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h–1 h 30 min · bullet train)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.
- Highlights and activities
- Participation / viewing
- Open to public participation / spectators welcome
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
The Karigane Festival carries on the local history of flood control, with the Karigane Embankment along the Fuji River as its setting. The festival centers on nage-matsudai, in which handmade torches are thrown into three “beehives,” and also features stalls, stage performances, and fireworks.
About Karigane Festival
Held on the Karigane Embankment along the Fuji River, the Karigane Festival celebrates the area’s flood-control efforts and local history.
At the heart of the festival is gratitude for the construction of the Karigane Embankment, which protected people and farmland from the Fuji River’s repeated flooding up to the Edo period, along with remembrance of those who lost their lives.
Today, the festival centers on nage-matsudai and also features stalls, stage performances, and fireworks.
Source: かりがね祭り - Wikipedia
Festival highlights
The main highlight is nage-matsudai, in which lit torches are thrown into three baskets of different heights called “hachi no su” (beehives).
The event takes place in this order: for children, adult women, then adult men. When a torch lands in a basket, the basket catches fire and blazes up.
Flames descend to the ground to the sound of Japanese drums, and fireworks are launched at the end.
Throwing Torches: Fire and Drums Carrying on the Legacy of the Karigane Embankment
What to expect
The day’s events can be enjoyed in this order: stalls, stage performances, nage-matsudai, and fireworks.
In 2026, stalls are scheduled to open at noon, stage performances to begin at 2 p.m., nage-matsudai to start at 6:30 p.m., and fireworks to begin at around 7:30 p.m.
In nage-matsudai, participants swing their handmade, lit torches to build momentum, then throw them toward the beehives.
Source: 第37回かりがね祭り | 静岡県富士市
How to take part
The torch-throwing event is open to the public, but advance registration is required in 2026, and same-day walk-in participation is not allowed.
Eligibility and safety requirements vary: preschool-aged children cannot participate, and elementary school students are limited to members of local children's associations.
Minors need a parent or guardian’s consent.
Registration for the 2026 torch-throwing event is required by September 11 (Friday).
Same-day walk-in participation at the venue is not allowed.
If you wish to participate, please register in advance and pay attention to the deadline.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Karigane Park (Fuji City).
- Train and bus
The area around Karigane-zutsumi is a 10-minute walk from JR Yuno ki Station.
From JR Fuji Station, take the Iwamatsu-kita District Community Bus Koume and get off at Kashimura Gastroenterology Clinic; it is a 10-minute walk from there. Alternatively, take the AI on-demand bus Noruuto Himawari and get off at Shichōgawara; it is a 10-minute walk from there.
- By car
It is a 20-minute drive from Fuji Interchange.
- Parking
The festival parking areas are listed in the program.
There is no permanent parking lot at Karigane-zutsumi.
For 2026, traffic restrictions were announced as scheduled from noon to 9 p.m.
Source: 9: かりがね堤 | 静岡県富士市
Event venue 静岡県富士市 かりがね公園
This map uses the venue name. Check the official guide for the event area and entrances.
Dates and season
2026 Festival Information (the listed dates have passed)
The 2026 festival was listed as scheduled for October 3 (Saturday).
Stalls open at noon, stage performances begin at 2 p.m., nage-matsudai starts at 6:30 p.m., and fireworks begin at around 7:30 p.m.
In case of rain, the festival is postponed until the following day.
Whether the festival will go ahead is decided at around 6:30 a.m. on the day, and if it goes ahead, fireworks are launched at 7 a.m.
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 Shizuoka Prefecture / Fuji City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
Roads and the venue are expected to be crowded, so please allow plenty of time for your visit.
In 2026, traffic restrictions will be in place from noon to 9 p.m.
If filming the throwing of torches, do so from outside the fence. Drones are not permitted.
Please take your garbage home and help ensure safety, as the event involves fire.
Nearby attractions
Around the venue, you can stroll along the Karigane Embankment itself.
The embankment runs along the Fuji River and is known for seasonal flowers such as cherry blossoms, cosmos, and red spider lilies.
The Karigane Embankment is said to have been named for its shape, which resembles a line of geese, and the scenery overlooking Mount Fuji is also highlighted.
浮島ヶ原自然公園
静岡県富士市にある自然公園
Origins and History of Karigane Festival
The Karigane Festival took its present form in Showa 62 as a Fuji City-sponsored festival commemorating 300 years since construction of the Karigane Embankment began.
From the following year onward, the Karigane Festival Executive Committee has organized the festival.
The Karigane Embankment is a flood-control structure built over more than 50 years by three generations of the Furugori family. The festival has been passed down as an event to honor this achievement and remember local people who lost their lives.
Official information
For 2026 festival information, see Fuji City’s “37th Karigane Festival” page.
It includes the festival date, venue, schedule for the day, traffic restrictions, registration, and photography precautions.
Whether the festival will go ahead is decided on the morning of the event, and the decision is also announced on the official Instagram account of the Iwamatsu District Community Development Council.
Karigane Festival at a Glance
Set against the history of the Karigane Embankment, which supported flood control on the Fuji River, the Karigane Festival is a local festival in Fuji City where visitors can enjoy the flames of nage-matsudai, Japanese taiko drums, and fireworks.
The 2026 festival was listed as scheduled to take place at Karigane Park on October 3.
Stalls and stage performances were also listed as planned.
Advance registration is required to participate in nage-matsudai.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/19
Submit information or a correction Submit photos of this festival
