10,000 Fireworks Light Up Morioka Night Sky as Part of Traditional End of Summer Festival

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:42 JST, September 25, 2025

MORIOKA — About 10,000 fireworks lit up the night sky at the Morioka Donpa fireworks festival, marking the end of summer.

The event was held at locations in Morioka, the capital of Iwate Prefecture, including Kogane Park Takamatsu on Sept. 6.

Held for the fourth time, Morioka Donpa revives the popular fireworks from a Bon festival dance held about 30 years ago. Four companies with experience in events like the Omagari Fireworks in Daisen, Akita Prefecture, handled the launch of the fireworks.

As sunset approached, spectators began gathering at Iwayama Observatory in Morioka, which overlooks the city, cheering each burst of a large firework.

“It’s rare to be able to enjoy fireworks along with a night view from a high vantage point. With the wind clearing the smoke away, I was thrilled to see how beautiful it was,” said Shintaro Yokohama, a 38-year-old company employee from Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture.