A Sengoku-era story from Yonezawa, told through taiko, martial performances, and fireworks on an autumn night
Yonezawa Sengoku Fireworks Festival
The 2026 edition of Yonezawa Sengoku Fireworks Festival has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/10/10Ended
- Season / frequency
- Autumn
- Location
- Yonezawa Municipal Baseball Stadium
- Area
- Yamagata Prefecture・Yonezawa City(From Tokyo: approx. 2 h 30 min–3 h · 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
- Wishes behind the festival
- Participation / viewing
- Spectators welcome
- Participation fee
- Paid viewing seats available. Kenshin-ko Seat ¥8,000; Family Seat ¥24,000; Kanetsugu-ko Seat ¥14,000; Yozan-ko Seat ¥16,000; Photographer Seat ¥8,000; Drive-in Seat ¥15,000. Parking ticket: ¥4,000 per vehicle
- Age restrictions
- Preschool children do not need a ticket if seated on a guardian’s lap
- Last updated
- 2026/11/11
The Yonezawa Sengoku Fireworks Festival is an event that tells a Sengoku-era story through fireworks, , dance, and martial performances, drawing on the “Keicho Dewa Campaign,” which is associated with Yonezawa. The autumn night sky becomes a stage for telling the story of local history.
About Yonezawa Sengoku Fireworks Festival
The Yonezawa Sengoku Fireworks Festival is a fireworks event themed around the Sengoku period.
It combines fireworks, performances by samurai, and theatrical storytelling based on the “Keicho Dewa Campaign,” a source of pride for Yonezawa.
Information for its 3rd edition in 2026 described a program that would launch fireworks into the clear autumn night sky and bring memories of the Sengoku period to life today.
Festival highlights
A highlight is the way fireworks, Uesugi taiko, dance, and martial performances are presented together as a single story.
In the 2026 program, Uesugi taiko and fireworks open the show, and the Maiden’s Dance depicts “The Return of the Soul.”
The Sengoku Picture Scroll that follows portrays the samurai’s cause and pride through martial performances and fireworks, and the finale brings the story to a close with a large, prayerful burst of fireworks.
A Sengoku-era story from Yonezawa, told through taiko, martial performances, and fireworks on an autumn night
What to expect
In 2026, concurrent events begin at 11:30 a.m., and the paid viewing area opens at 4 p.m.
The main program begins with an opening ceremony at 6:27 p.m., followed by Uesugi taiko and fireworks at 6:38 p.m., a dreamlike performance at 6:49 p.m., the Sengoku Picture Scroll at 7:05 p.m., and the finale at 7:15 p.m.
The fireworks are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. The program runs for about 1 hour, with fireworks, music, and martial arts performances following one another.
How to take part
Paid viewing seats are sold by seat type.
The 2026 information lists options including the Kenshin-ko Seat at ¥8,000, the Kenshin-ko Seat Family section at ¥24,000, the Kanetsugu-ko Seat at ¥14,000, the Yozan-ko Seat at ¥16,000, the Photographer Seat at ¥8,000, and the Drive-in Seat at ¥15,000. Parking tickets are sold separately for ¥4,000.
Preschool children do not need a ticket if seated on a guardian’s lap.
Location and access
- Venue and address
米沢市営野球場 山形県米沢市塩井町塩野1369／電車・バス：JR米沢駅からバス約15分／車：2026年10月10日は国道121号（総合公園周辺）などで17:00～21:00に交通規制／駐車場：会場周辺の公式駐車場は駐車券の事前購入が必要。
隣接駐車場は11:00～17:00入庫、出庫は大会終了後の21:00以降を予定
Address 1369 Shiono, Shioi-machi, Yonezawa, Yamagata Prefecture
Dates and season
2026 event information (the listed dates have passed)
Scheduled for October 10, 2026 (Sat).
同時開催イベント11:30開始／有料観覧席16:00開場／開会式典18:27／打ち上げ開始18:30／上杉太鼓と花火18:38／幻想演舞18:49／戦国絵巻19:05／終幕19:15。
Held in rainy weather; canceled in severe weather.
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 Yamagata Prefecture / Yonezawa City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
The 2026 event information forecasts that temperatures will drop to around 10°C in the evening, and recommends bringing warm, windproof clothing and hand warmers.
For safety, avoid using umbrellas. In rainy weather, bring a raincoat or poncho and a towel.
Since the ground may be slippery after rain, shoes with good traction or rain boots are recommended.
Nearby attractions
上杉神社
山形県米沢市にある神社
写真：掬茶 / CC BY-SA 4.0(resized and reformatted)
Photo source ·
宮坂考古館
山形県米沢市にある博物館
写真：Abasaa / Public domain(resized and reformatted)
Photo source ·
松岬神社
山形県米沢市に鎮座する神社
米沢市上杉博物館
山形県米沢市にある博物館
写真：掬茶 / CC BY-SA 4.0(resized and reformatted)
Photo source ·Origins and History of Yonezawa Sengoku Fireworks Festival
The Yonezawa Sengoku Fireworks Festival reached its 3rd edition in 2026.
It is described as having drawn acclaim from a total of 40,000 visitors across its first 2 editions, and is introduced as an autumn tradition in Yonezawa.
The event brings the region’s celebrated “Keicho Dewa Campaign” to life through fireworks, performances by samurai, and storytelling.
Official information
The official website provides information about the 2026 event date and time, venue, viewing seats, traffic restrictions, and how updates on whether the event will go ahead will be announced.
Whether the event will go ahead is to be decided at 8 a.m., 12 p.m., and after 3 p.m. on the day, with updates planned via the official LINE account, Instagram, and X.
Yonezawa Sengoku Fireworks Festival at a Glance
The Yonezawa Sengoku Fireworks Festival is a fireworks event themed around the Sengoku period, held at Yonezawa Municipal Baseball Stadium.
In 2026, on October 10, it was scheduled to tell “The Return of the Soul,” combining Uesugi taiko, the Maiden’s Dance, performances by samurai, and fireworks.
The venue is about 15 minutes by bus from JR Yonezawa Station. Information indicates that viewing seats and parking are paid, and that the event will be canceled in severe weather.
Sources and references
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/11/11
