We kicked off this week’s Fun Friday with some awesome rap from Kenjiman. Check out his Myspace page for some excellent tunes and incredible rapping from Tokyo. (If you are a band in Japan, please contact us at info(at)learnjapanesepod(dot)com if you would like your music to be considered for our podcast)

The festival season was today’s theme which is starting in Japan. Waka sensei and myself will be checking out as many summer events as we can in Japan and reporting you about it stay tuned. Check out our festival calendars for Kanto and Kansai to find some great events to attend.

We also talked about the latest Eco convenience store located in Kyoto which doesn’t sell plastic bottles or provide plastic shopping bags for customers. It’s the first of its kind in Japan and we will be waiting to see if the idea spreads. Waka sensei suggested that plastic manufacturers had try to protect the “pet bottle” in Japan which is why this idea hadn’t taken off sooner. I suggested that plastic bottle making ninjas would soon put a stop to this. Waka sensei didn’t agree…

A big shout out to Dennis for sending this photo of an ad to ask people to smoke more responsibly.

The interesting thing is, in the UK you have posters telling you to quit smoking whereas in Japan they tell you how to be a good smoker. And being good is not disturbing those around you.  The tide is slowly turning in Japan as more and more public areas are designated as smoke free areas. I’m not sure what will happen when they take the last cigarette away from the hassled and stressed salaryman. Japan could have a revolt on their hands.

Again thanks to Dennis for the picture. Please send us your own Japan related pictures, comments, questions and suggestions to info(at)learnjapanesepod(dot)com or alternatively leave a comment at the end of this post. DOMO!

Tweet this!

View Fireworks Festivals Japan 2009 in a larger map

25th July (Saturday)

(Osaka)

天神祭奉納花火　Tenjin Festival Fireworks display

Time: 19:00-21:00

Location: MAP/地図 5 min walk from JR Sakuranomiya station (桜ノ宮駅), Loop line (環状線)

4000 fireworks / 1.3 million spectators /  TEL: 06-6353-002/ http://www.tenjinsan.com/tjm.html

Check out this Tenjin Festival Video

(Osaka)

岸和田港まつり花火大会　Kishiwada Minato Festival Fireworks
Time: 20:00 – 21:00
Location: MAP/地図 30 mins walk from Kishiwada station (岸和田駅), Nankai  hon  line (南海本線)
1500 fireworks / 20000 spectators / TEL: 072-423-9618/

(Hyogo)

芦屋サマーカーニバル　Ashiya Summer Carnival
Time: 20:00 start
Location: MAP/地図 Ashiya City Park 芦屋市総合公園/Nearest station -Ashiya station / 芦屋駅 /
5000 fireworks / 90000 spectators / TEL: 0797-35-0871/

(Hyogo)

姫路みなと祭海上花火大会 Himeji Port Fireworks Festival

Time: 19:30-20:45

Location: MAP/地図 25 min walk from Shikama Station on the Sanyo Dentetsu line 山陽電鉄本線飾磨駅

3300 fireworks / http://www.city.himeji.lg.jp/s60/2212506/_10217/_10017.html

1st August (Saturday)

(Osaka)

教祖祭PL花火芸術　Kyoso Festival PL Fireworks Display
Time: 19:45 – 20:45
Location: MAP/地図 10 mins walk from Tondabayashi station (富田林駅), Kintetsu Nagano line (近鉄長野線)
20000 fireworks /  300000 spectators /TEL: 0721-23-6625/ http://www.perfect-liberty.or.jp/

7th August (Friday)

(Shiga)

びわ湖花火大会　Lake Biwa Fireworks display
Time: 19:30– 20:30
Location: MAP/地図 5 mins walk from Hamaotsu station (浜大津駅)
10000 fireworks /  350000 spectators / TEL: 077-511-1530 / http://www.biwako-visitors.jp/

8th August (Saturday)

(Osaka)

なにわ淀川花火大会　Naniwa Yodogawa Fireworks Display
Time: 19:50– 20:40
Location: MAP/地図 10 mins walk from Jyuso station (十三駅), Hankyu line (阪急線)
or Tsukamoto station (塚本駅), JR kobe line (JR神戸線)
3000 fireworks /  380000 spectators /TEL: 06-6307-5522/http://www.yodohanabi.com/

15th August (Saturday)

(Kyoto)

あやべ水無月まつり　Ayabe Festival
Time: 20:00– 20:45
Location: MAP/地図 10 mins walk east from Ayabe Station 綾部駅
４000 fireworks /  35000 spectators /TEL: 0773-42-0701

TWEET THIS!

This is the Kanto Fireworks Calendar covering the greater Tokyo area and surrounding prefectures. Be sure to check out the Kansai Fireworks Calendar here. We will be adding extra information to this calendar as the festival season progresses here in Japan. Also check out our Japan Guide Page for general event and cultural for Japan.

Every year hundreds of thousands of people gather wearing 浴衣 – Yukata – summer kimonos and try to keep themselves cool with their 扇子 – Sensu – fans during the warm humid summer.  Many of these fireworks displays have long histories stretching back hundreds of years so this is a great way to experience Japanese culture at it’s most exciting.

Please leave your comments, questions and fireworks tales on the comments below. Enjoy!

View Fireworks Festivals Japan 2009 in a larger map

4th July (Saturday)

(Yamanashi)

富士山　河口湖　山開きまつり花火大会 Mount Fuji -Kawaguchi Lake – Yamaaki Fireworks Display

Time: 20:00 – 20:30

Location: 10 mins walk from Kawaguchiko station, Fuji Kyuko line

2000 fireworks / 30,000 spectators / MAP / /TEL: 0555-72-2460

11th July (Saturday)

(Kanagawa)

2009 久里浜ペリー祭 2009 Kurihama Perii Festival

Time: 19:20 – 20:10

Location: Kurihama bay -15 mins walk from JR Kurihama station or 15 mins walk from Keikyu Kurihama station

3500 fireworks / 90,000 spectators / TEL: 046-822-2500 / http://www.kurihama.com/info MAP

18th July (Saturday)

(Tokyo)

調布市花火大会　Chofu City Fireworks Display

Time: 19:20 – 20:30

Location: 15mins walk from Chofu station

12,000 fireworks / 250,000 spectators TEL: 042-481-7311 MAP

(Saitama）

小江戸川越花火大会 Ko Edo Kawagoe Fireworks Display

Time: 19:30 – 21:00

Location: 20 mins walk from Kasahata station

4000 fireworks / 140,000 spectators TEL: 049-222-5556 MAP

(Saitama)

たまむら花火大会 Tamamura Fireworks Display

Time: 19:50 – 20:50

Location: 20 mins by bus from JR Takasaki Line, Shinmachi station

10,000 fireworks / 50,000 spectators / 0270-65-7144　 MAP

(Shizuoka)

海の祭典　納涼花火大会　Umi No Saiten Nouryou Fireworks Display

Time: 20:00 – 20:30

Location: 10 min bus from Izushimoda station on Izukyukou line

2000 fireworks / 15,000 spectators / MAP / http://www.izu-shirahama.jp/event_guide.html#hanabi

19th July (Sunday)

(Saitama)

ドイツ村花火大会 Doitsu Mura Fireworks Display

Time: 20:30 – 20:50

Location: 15 min taxi ride from Ooko station (大湖駅)

5000 fireworks / 8000 spectators / MAP / http://www.doitsumura.com/index2.html

(Kanagawa)

灯籠流し＆花火大会　Floating Paper Laterns On The River and Fireworks Display

Time: Events start at 19:00 with fireworks at the end

Location: 片瀬江ノ島駅　2 min walk from Katase Enoshima station

500 fireworks / 13,000 spectators / MAP

23rd July (Thursday)

(Tokyo)

足立の花火 Adachi Fireworks Display

Time: 19:30 – 20:30

Location: 15 min walk from Kitasenju station（北千住駅）

12,000 fireworks / more than 500,000 people expected to watch from the river /http:/adachikanko.jp/fireworks/ MAP

25th July (Saturday)

(Tochigi)

真岡市夏祭り大花火大会 Moka City Festival and Fireworks Display

Time: 19:20 – 21:00

Location: 15 min walk from Moka station (真岡駅)

20,000 fireworks / 280,000 spectators / http://www.city.moka.tochigi.jp/kankou/maturi/ MAP

(Tokyo)

隅田川花火大会 Sumidagawa Fireworks Display

Time: 19:00 – 20:30 (area 1) / 19:30 – 20:30 (area 2)

Location: On the Sumida river, 15 min walk from Asakusa station (浅草駅) or five min walk from Kuramae station (蔵前駅）

21,500 fireworks / 900,000 spectators / http://sumidagawa-hanabi.com/index_eg.html MAP

(Shizuoka)

安倍川花火大会 Abekawa Fireworks Display

Time: 19:00 – 21:00

Location: 10 min taxi or bus ride from Shizuoka station (静岡駅)

15,000 fireworks / 600,000 spectators / MAP

(Tokyo)

立川祭り国営昭和記念公園花火大会 Tachikawa Festival and Showakinen Park Fireworks Display

Time: 19:20 – 20:30

Location: 15 min walk from Tachikawa station (立川駅)

5000 fireworks / 600,000 spectators / MAP

25th and 26th July (Sunday)

(Shizuoka)

沼津夏祭り狩野川花火大会 Numazu Sumer Festival and Kanogawa Fireworks Display

Time: 19:30 – 20:45

Location: 10 min walk from Numazu station (沼津駅)

9000 fireworks / 360,000 spectators / MAP

29th July (Wednesday)

(Chiba)

船橋港親水公園花火大会　Funabashi Koshinsui Park Fireworks Festival

Time: 19:30 – 20:30

Location: 10 min walk from JR Minami Funabashi Station (南船橋駅) or 10 min walk from Keisei Daijingu-shita station (京成大神宮下駅)

6000 fireworks / 70,000 spectators / MAP

30th July (Thursday)

(Saitama)

さいたま市花火大会 Saitama City Fireworks Display

Time: 19:00 – 21:00

Location: 15 min walk from Omiya Koen station (大宮公園駅) or Owada station (大和田駅)

5000 fireworks / 130,000 spectators / MAP

AUGUST

8th August (Saturday)

(Tokyo)

東京湾大華火祭りTokyo Bay Fireworks Festival

Time: 19:00 – 20:20

Location: 15mins walk from Kachidoki station on Oedo Line(大江戸線勝どき駅) 20mins walk from Tsukishima Station on the Yurakucho line(有楽町線月島駅)

12000 fireworks / 170,000 spectators / MAP

(Kanagawa)

あつぎ鮎大花火大会　Atsugi Ayu Fireworks Festival

Time: 19:00 – 20:40

Location: 15mins walk from Honatsugi station north exit on the Odakyu line （本厚木駅北口小田急線）

5000 fireworks / 580,000 spectators / MAP

11th August (Tuesday)

(Tokyo)

せいせき多摩川花火大会 Seiseki Tamagawa Fireworks Festival

Time: 19:30 – 20:30

Location: 10mins walk from Seiseki-Sakuragaoka station on Keio Line(京王線聖蹟桜ヶ丘駅）15mins walk from Nakagawara Station on Keio line(京王線中河原駅)

5000 fireworks / 230,000 spectators / MAP

29th August (Saturday)

(Kanagawa)

相模原納涼花火大会 Sagamihara Fireworks Festival

Time: 19:00 onwards

Location: 30 min bus ride from Fuchinobe station on the JR Yokohama line (JR横浜線淵野辺駅) Car is probably best transport.

8000 fireworks / 290,000 spectators / MAP