10,000 Fireworks Launched at World Heritage Site

Aug 18, 2026 | News On Japan

MIE - About 10,000 fireworks illuminated the Kumano-nada Sea in brilliant colors on August 17 as the Kumano Grand Fireworks Festival was held in Kumano, Mie Prefecture, drawing about 80,000 spectators, according to organizers.

The festival takes place at Shichiri-Mihama Beach, part of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range.

One of the event's signature attractions is a large-scale fireworks display staged around the rocky area known as Onigajo.

The festival is said to have begun about 300 years ago as a memorial event for people observing their first Bon season after the death of a family member.

Source: Kyodo

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