Akita Prefecture · Semboku City (From Tokyo: approx. 3 h 40 min–4 h 10 min · bullet train)

A Semboku annual event where paper balloons lit with people’s wishes soar into the winter night sky

Kamihinokinai Paper Balloon Launch

Name: Kamihinokinai Paper Balloon Launch
Start: 2027-02-10
End: 2027-02-10
Location: Nishiki Town Paper Balloon Plaza

Giant City fairs and temple fairs Illuminations and light displays

An illustration of a festival themed around Kamihinokinai Paper Balloon Launch

Festival information

EVENT INFORMATION

Dates: 2027/02/10Scheduled
Season / frequency: Every year on February 10 / Annual event
Location: Nishiki Town Paper Balloon Plaza
Area: Akita Prefecture・Semboku City(From Tokyo: approx. 3 h 40 min–4 h 10 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.
Features: Held at night
Highlights and activities: Fire
Wishes behind the festival: Household safety and community peace Health and protection from illness Good harvests and abundant crops
Last updated: 2026/11/12

An annual event in Nishiki Town, Semboku City, where paper balloons decorated with designs and carrying people’s wishes are released into the midwinter sky.

Kamihinokinai Paper Balloon Launchの記録写真：File:Kamihinokinai no Kamifūsen age 20230210b.jpg — Photo credits and terms of use
Photographer: 掬茶 File:Kamihinokinai no Kamifūsen age 20230210b.jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 Own work by the contributorDisplay size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.

Kamihinokinai Paper Balloon Launchの記録写真：File:Kamihinokinai no Kamifūsen age 20230210e.jpg — Photo credits and terms of use
Photographer: 掬茶 File:Kamihinokinai no Kamifūsen age 20230210e.jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 Own work by the contributorDisplay size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.

About Kamihinokinai Paper Balloon Launch

Kamihinokinai Paper Balloon Launch（Akita Prefecture・Semboku City） · 2027 festival poster — 2027 Kamihinokinai Paper Balloon Launch — Created by Japanese Festivals.jp

Kamihinokinai Paper Balloon Launch is a winter annual event carried on in Nishiki Town, Semboku City.

Washed-paper balloons painted with warrior portraits and portraits of beautiful women are lit from within and released into the night sky bearing wishes for health and protection from illness, a bountiful harvest, and household safety.

Paper balloons reaching up to 8 m high brighten the midwinter night sky.

Festival highlights

The highlight is the sight of giant, decorated paper balloons rising into the sky with their lights glowing.

During the evening’s simultaneous launch, around 50 paper balloons brighten the sky as symbols of the region’s recovery, creating a different impression from the daytime launch.

Local performing arts, stalls, and food trucks also help make the event.

A Semboku annual event where paper balloons lit with people’s wishes soar into the winter night sky

What to expect

According to the 2026 information, the venue opens at 15:00, followed by local performing arts and the daytime balloon launch.

In the evening, a simultaneous launch was scheduled for 18:00, followed by the launch of paper balloons bearing written wishes at 19:00 and a final launch at 20:00.

Stalls and food trucks were also planned at the venue.

Location and access

Venue and address: Daichida, Kamihinokinai, Nishiki Town (Kamifusen Square)
Train and bus: Akita Nairiku Line: a 7-minute walk from Kamihinokinai Station / From Kakunodate Station, take the Akita Nairiku Line to Kamihinokinai Station; journey time is approximately 45 minutes
By car: Not listed
Parking: Not listed

Address Daichida, Kamihinokinai, Nishiki Town, Semboku City, Akita Prefecture

Travel by taxi PRFind a taxi or private transfer for your journey.Find a taxi on Kiwitaxi Long-distance buses are another option PRFind routes and fares from your departure point to your destination.Find highway buses on Rakuten Travel

Dates and season

The event is scheduled to take place on February 10 in 2027.

The venue is listed as Nishiki Town Kamifusen Square.

It is listed as a scheduled event, and details may change.

Accommodation and hotels PR

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 Akita Prefecture / Semboku City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)

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Tips for your visit

写真：掬茶 / CC BY-SA 4.0(resized and reformatted)

Photo source ·

Facility data source

Origins and History of Kamihinokinai Paper Balloon Launch

There are no records that directly document the event, but according to legend, the Edo-period scientist Gennai Hiraga introduced it as a pastime inspired by the principles of hot-air balloons when he visited to provide technical guidance at a copper mine.

Its origins are told as legend. Today, it continues as an annual event in which paper balloons carrying people’s wishes are released into the night sky.

Official information

Semboku City’s official website provided information on the 2026 date, venue, program, transportation, and parking under “Kamihinokinai Paper Balloon Launch 2026 Event Information.”