Edogawa Fireworks Festival

A total of 14,000 fireworks are shot into the air over the course of 75 minutes for this annual hanabi event, featuring eight distinct themes that change every few minutes. The most critical part of the experience is the opening sequence: 1,000 fireworks are launched in a synchronized burst within the first five seconds, a signature display known as the “Shu-ake” (vermilion opening). The Edogawa Fireworks Festival is one of the more enjoyable of Tokyo’s many summer events, as the expansive, flat riverbanks provide significantly more seating capacity than the narrow concrete banks of the Sumida River.

Visitors typically alight at either Koiwa Station (JR Sobu Line) to the north or Shinozaki Station (Toei Shinjuku Line) to the south. From Koiwa Station, the venue is a 15-minute walk along Showa Street—a commercial thoroughfare lined with vendors selling beer and festival snacks. It is important to note that Shinozaki Station is the closest to the main launch site and experiences the most severe congestion; using the Ichikawa side (JR Ichikawa Station) across the river in Chiba is often a faster alternative for entry and exit.

If you want to get as close to the launch barges as possible, you’ll need to arrive by mid-afternoon with a leisure sheet to claim your space. However, the area just south of the Sobu Line train bridge provides superb views and typically doesn’t reach maximum capacity until 30 minutes before the 7:15 PM start. Moreover, many spectators avoid the sloped sections of the levee where the grass is longer, meaning that even late arrivals can usually find a clear line of sight. Be aware that once the finale ends, the local stations implement a phased entry system that can result in wait times of up to 60 minutes just to reach the ticket gates.