Tsuchiura All Japan Fireworks Competition

Festival highlights

A highlight is watching fireworks from different categories launch in sequence, so you can compare their techniques and styles.

Starmines unfold in rapid succession over a short period, while creative fireworks feature imaginative displays.

Midway through the event, the “Wide Star Mine: Tsuchiura Fireworks Extravaganza” also uses the entire launch area.

Tsuchiura’s grand stage, where pyrotechnicians’ skill and creativity compete in the autumn night sky

What to expect

The show features multiple entrants from each category—10-go fireworks, creative fireworks, and starmines—launching in sequence.

Each entrant’s display often lasts no more than 5 minutes for starmines, and may be choreographed to music.

After all entries have finished, the show concludes with a finale in which a number of 7-go fireworks equal to the edition number of the competition are launched.

How to take part

The competition features 3 categories—starmines, 10-gō shells, and creative fireworks—in which fireworks manufacturers, mainly from Japan, submit entries.

General visitors do not enter the competition; they watch the fireworks at the venue.

Viewing options include reserved box seats and chair seats, but seat types and access to free viewing areas vary by year. Check the event information for how to view the 2026 event.

Entries in the competition are accepted on an open-entry basis, with no preliminary screening or designated companies.

Entrants submit works in the Starmine, 10-inch shell, and creative fireworks categories. Multiple entrants launch their works in turn and are judged.

This is not an event where members of the public create and submit entries; it is a competition among fireworks companies.

Location and access

Venue and address

Along the Sakuragawa River in Tsuchiura City, near Gakuen Ohashi Bridge.

In 2026, the event will take place along the riverside path between Gakuen Ohashi Bridge and Tsuchiura Bridge, in the reserved box and chair seating areas, and at the launch site.

Train and bus

Temporary buses and paid shuttle buses to the venue are listed from Tsuchiura Station on the JR Joban Line.

Standard information says the trip from Tsuchiura Station to the venue takes about 10 minutes.

By car

Access is available via National Route 354 and National Route 6 from Sakura-Tsuchiura IC on the Joban Expressway, or via National Route 125 and National Route 6 from Tsuchiura-Kita IC.

Parking

In 2026, temporary parking lots requiring advance reservations and payment will be available.

Manabe A Parking Lot and Manabe 2-chome Parking Lot are available. They are open from 12 p.m. to 12 a.m., and the fee is 3,800 yen per vehicle.

Source: 第95回 土浦全国花火競技大会 | 観光いばらき公式ホームページ / 指定催しの指定について | 土浦市消防本部・消防署所在地 | 土浦市公式ホームページ / 土浦全国花火競技大会 臨時駐車場（有料）の申込受付について | 関東鉄道 | 地域のふれあいパートナー

Address Along the Sakuragawa River, Tsuchiura City, Ibaraki Prefecture (near Gakuen Ohashi Bridge)

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Dates and season

The 95th competition in 2026 will be held on November 7 (Saturday).

The competition is scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. and end at 8 p.m., with approximately 20,000 fireworks set to be launched.

In the event of severe weather, it is scheduled to be postponed to November 14 (Saturday).

Accommodation and hotels PR

Tips for your visit

In 2026, temporary parking lots require reservations, and visitors are directed to walk from the paid parking lots to the venue.

It is said to be about a 30-minute walk from Manabe A Parking Lot and about a 25–30-minute walk from Manabe 2-chome Parking Lot. Parking lot entry is from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The area around the venue gets crowded with many spectators, so please check the seating options and traffic guidance, and help protect the venue environment by taking your rubbish home after the event.

Nearby attractions

Museums and art museumsTsuchiura City

土浦市立博物館

茨城県土浦市にある博物館

Visit the official page ↗ⓘ Photo and data sources

Photo and data sources×

写真：Miyuki Meinaka / CC BY-SA 4.0

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Facility data source

Attractions in the same municipality. Check each attraction’s official website for travel distances from the venue and current opening information.

Origins and History of Tsuchiura All Japan Fireworks Competition

The event is said to have begun in 1925, when the head priest of Shinryuji Temple held a fireworks gathering to honor those who died in aerial combat.

After being suspended during World War II, it resumed in 1946 and developed into a competition through improvements to its organization and awards.

A rapid-fire fireworks category was added in 1959, and the event has been held at its current location near the Sakuragawa River and Gakuen Ohashi Bridge since 1971.

Official information

The official website is the “Tsuchiura All Japan Fireworks Competition” website of the Tsuchiura All Japan Fireworks Competition Executive Committee.

The 2026 event announcement also includes information about the lottery for official parking and postponements in severe weather.

Source: 第95回 土浦全国花火競技大会（土浦市）の打ち上げ場所 - 花火大会2026 - ウォーカープラス

Tsuchiura All Japan Fireworks Competition at a Glance

The Tsuchiura All Japan Fireworks Competition is an event where pyrotechnicians compete in 3 categories: starmines, 10-go fireworks, and creative fireworks.

In 2026, it will be held along the Sakuragawa River in Tsuchiura City on November 7, with access from Tsuchiura Station on foot or by paid shuttle bus.

Seating types and ticket requirements apply to viewing and parking, so be sure to check in advance.