Lake Toya Long-Run Fireworks Festival 2026 Confirmed

洞爺湖ロングラン花火大会 — Toyako, Hokkaido (Hokkaido)

Lake Toya runs fireworks every single night for half the year — about 450 shells launched from boats that cruise along the shoreline of this volcanic caldera lake from late April through the end of October. It is the rare hanabi you don't have to plan a trip around: if you're staying in Toyako Onsen on any night in season, the show comes to you, starting at 8:45pm and lasting about 20 minutes.

Background

The nightly series began in 1982 as a way to entertain guests of the lakeside hot-spring resort, and it has run every season since, becoming one of Japan's longest-running fireworks programs.

Getting there

The fireworks are best seen from the lakefront promenade or hotel rooms in Toyako Onsen. From JR Toya Station on the Muroran Line (about 2 hours from Sapporo by limited express), buses run to Toyako Onsen in about 20 minutes.

Tips

• Book a lake-facing room at one of the onsen hotels — you can watch the whole show from your window or a rooftop bath.
• Because the launch boats move along the shore, the view changes night to night; the promenade in front of the bus terminal area is a reliable spot.
• It runs nightly rain or shine except in rough weather, so a cloudy forecast is rarely a reason to cancel.
• Pair it with a daytime visit to the Usu volcano area — the fireworks are short, so plan them as a nightcap rather than the main event.