Inagawa’s Riverside Fireworks Festival
One of Kansai’s oldest fireworks traditions trades August heat for a crisp November night as 4,000 fireworks return above the river between Osaka and Hyogo.
Summer had to let this one go.
For generations, fireworks over the Inagawa meant an August night: heavy air, crowded riverbanks and families settling beside the water as daylight slowly disappeared. In 2026, one of Kansai’s oldest hanabi traditions returns with a distinctly different instruction.
Bring a jacket.
On November 7, the 77th Inagawa Fireworks Festival will send approximately 4,000 fireworks above the river separating Ikeda in Osaka from Kawanishi in Hyogo. The first shells rise at 18:00, filling the dark corridor above the water for a concentrated 30-minute show.
This is the festival’s first autumn edition, a deliberate move away from increasingly dangerous summer heat. The change should make for a very different riverside evening: cooler air, earlier darkness and perhaps fewer fans and towels tucked into festival bags. What remains is the setting that has always defined Inagawa — two neighboring cities gathering on opposite banks of the same river.
The scale is intimate by Osaka fireworks standards, and that is part of the appeal. There are no skyscrapers framing the display and no giant entertainment complex surrounding it. Instead, spectators walk in from Ikeda and Kawanishi, find their places along the river and watch the fireworks open above the water and bridges connecting the two communities.
There is change on the ground, too. Kawanishi’s viewing areas open at 14:30 and will have no food stalls in 2026 for safety reasons, so visitors using that side should bring drinks and plan accordingly. The festival is free to attend, although Ikeda has also introduced limited special viewing opportunities connected to paid seating and hometown-tax donations.
Inagawa has been doing this since 1948. But preserving a tradition that old increasingly means changing it. Rising safety costs and operating expenses led organizers to skip 2025 and move the festival to a biennial schedule, while extreme heat pushed its return out of August altogether.
So this November night is more than the 77th edition.
It is an old summer tradition discovering how to survive in a new season.
A New Season – Inagawa trades its traditional August heat for autumn air in the festival’s first-ever November edition.
4,000 Over the River – Around 4,000 fireworks fill the sky above the Inagawa in a concentrated 30-minute display.
Two Cities, One Festival – Ikeda and Kawanishi gather on opposite banks for a fireworks tradition shared across the Osaka-Hyogo border.
77 Editions Strong – First held in 1948, Inagawa returns after a one-year pause as one of the region’s longest-running hanabi traditions.
The Beginning of a New Era – The 2026 return marks the festival’s first edition under its new biennial schedule.
Photos: Inagawa Fireworks Festival official Website
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THE SCENE: FAQ’s
ACCESS
Venue: Inagawa Riverbank, Ikeda (Osaka) & Kawanishi (Hyogo)
Address: Ikeda viewing areas — Momozono 1–2-chome, Ikeda, Osaka / Kawanishi viewing areas — Obana 2-chome & Shimokamo 1-chome, Kawanishi, Hyogo
Trains:
Hankyu Takarazuka Line → Ikeda Station — about 10 min walk
Hankyu Takarazuka Line / Nose Railway → Kawanishi-Noseguchi Station — about 10 min walk
JR Takarazuka Line → Kawanishi-Ikeda Station — about 15 min walk
Subways:
Osaka Metro Tanimachi Line → Higashi-Umeda ↔ Osaka-Umeda → Hankyu Takarazuka Line → Ikeda or Kawanishi-Noseguchi
Osaka Metro Midosuji Line → Umeda ↔ Osaka-Umeda → Hankyu Takarazuka Line → Ikeda or Kawanishi-Noseguchi
◷ FROM CENTRAL OSAKA
Namba: Osaka Metro Midosuji Line → Umeda ↔ Osaka-Umeda → Hankyu Takarazuka Line → Ikeda — about 40–50 min including the walk
Osaka-Umeda: Hankyu Takarazuka Line → Ikeda or Kawanishi-Noseguchi — about 30–40 min including the walk
SCHEDULE
Date: Saturday, November 7, 2026
Viewing Areas Open: 14:30 on the Kawanishi side
Opening Remarks: 17:55–18:00
Fireworks: 18:00–18:30
Program: Three chapters / approximately 4,000 fireworks
The 2026 festival begins substantially earlier than previous summer editions, taking advantage of November’s earlier sunset.
Weather: Rain or severe weather cancellation; no postponement date. Day-of status is available through the organizer’s automated information line
TICKETS & VIEWING
General Viewing: Free
Reservations: Not required for general viewing
Ikeda Reserved Seats: ¥6,000 per seat / approximately 200 seats / Ikeda residents only / lottery. 2026 applications closed September 30.
Ikeda Hometown-Tax Seats: Donations of ¥20,000 or more qualified for one reserved seat, limited to the first 200 applicants and available only to people living outside Ikeda. 2026 applications closed September 30.
Kawanishi Hometown-Tax Seats: ¥20,000 donation per seat / 170 seats / not available to Kawanishi residents. 2026 applications closed September 30.
Reserved Seat Information:
Ikeda City — Inagawa Fireworks Festival
https://www.city.ikeda.osaka.jp/soshiki/siminseikatsu/citypro/event/18901.html
Ikeda Tourism Association — Reserved Seat Information
https://www.ikedashi-kanko.jp/topics/11376
Kawanishi City — Inagawa Fireworks Festival / Reserved Seat Information
https://www.city.kawanishi.hyogo.jp/shiseijoho/shokai/kisetu/1024543.html
Ticket Pia — Ikeda Reserved Seat Lottery (2026 applications closed)
https://w.pia.jp/t/inagawahanabi/
INFO & TIPS
What makes Inagawa different from Osaka’s larger fireworks festivals?
Unlike giant urban fireworks events such as Yodogawa, Inagawa is more community-oriented and suburban in atmosphere, focusing on riverside gathering culture, neighborhood participation, and long-running local tradition rather than massive production scale.
Is this event family friendly?
Yes. The festival has historically been known as a family-oriented regional fireworks tradition attended by local residents across generations.
What should visitors bring?
Because the event is now held in November, visitors should prepare for cooler autumn evening temperatures. Light jackets or layered clothing are recommended in addition to picnic sheets, portable lighting, and other riverside viewing supplies.
Are drones allowed?
Official operational and safety restrictions are expected closer to the event date. Visitors should follow all municipal safety guidance and crowd-control instructions announced by organizers.
