Held every year, this summer nights festival incorporates a series of local festivals held around the water’s edge of Lake Ashi in Hakone.
Moto-Hakone is the center of festivities with food stalls and festival games to keep you entertained and in the festival spirit. There will also be another large festival on August 16.
Tip: Get a tour to and from Tokyo and skip the hassle of getting to Hakone for the fireworks on August 4.
Schedule 2023
- July 31: The Kosui Festival honours the nine-headed dragon who once lived in the lake and was eventually tamed by a monk to protect the locals. There is a fireworks display in the evening at Motohakone Bay from 8 p.m. and lanterns set afloat on the lake.
- August 1: Hakone Shrine Reidai Festival is held to pray for the shrine and its visitors. There are kendo displays, poetry and fireworks from 8 p.m. at Motohakone Bay.
- August 2: During the Gojinkousai Festival, traditional Japanese boats set sail on the lake from Hakone Shrine.
- August 2–3: : During the Hakone Park Summer Night Festival (a two-day event) there will be stalls and fireworks at the base of the Prince Hotel.
- August 4: Kojiri Dragon Festival is dedicated to the lake’s dragon. This festival has performances from local Soran dancers and live music too. There are fireworks in the evening near Togandai Ropeway Station (on the way to Owakudani).
- August 5: The Shrine Gate Festival is when torii gates are erected and set alight in an amazing display, with fireworks to follow.
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Organizers may cancel events, alter schedules, or change admission requirements without notice. Always check official sites before heading to an event.
