46th Kinshuko Lake Festival to Be Held on May 30, 2026

The Kinshuko Lake Festival Executive Committee, with the Nishiwaga Town Tourism Association serving as its secretariat, will hold the annual early-summer event, the 46th Kinshuko Lake Festival, on Saturday, May 30, 2026. The event is held as the eve festival for the Kinshuko Marathon, which takes place the following day. Set around Lake Kinshuko in Nishiwaga Town, Iwate Prefecture, the festival offers visitors a chance to experience Nishiwaga’s distinctive nature and culture through fireworks over the lake, water activities, and local performing arts. The main event, the Kinshuko Lake Festival Fireworks, will be the earliest fireworks event of the season in Iwate Prefecture, with dreamlike fireworks reflected on the lake’s surface illuminating Lake Kinshuko at night. During the day, visitors can enjoy lake cruises as well as short SUP and kayak tours around Lake Kinshuko. From the evening, performances by Yuda Children’s Taiko and Yumoto Oni Kenbai will welcome guests with programs rich in local character. Food and drink booths will also be set up around the venue, offering a full day of enjoyment by the lakeside in early summer. Visitors are invited to enjoy a uniquely magical Kinshuko evening, where fireworks reflected on the quiet lake and sounds echoing through the mountain valley come together. Event overview: The event is the 46th Kinshuko Lake Festival. It will be held on Saturday, May 30, 2026, at Kawajiri Lakeside Park, 157-11 Kawajiri 40-chiwari, Nishiwaga Town, Waga District, Iwate Prefecture. The organizer is the Kinshuko Lake Festival Executive Committee, with support from the Kitakami River Integrated Dam Management Office. The main program includes water activities, performances, fireworks, and food booths. Lake cruises will run from 12:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on small boats, with on-site registration and a requested cooperation fee. Short SUP tours will be held from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. and from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., with a capacity of eight participants per session, advance reservation required, and a participation fee. Short kayak tours will be held during the same time slots, with a capacity of five participants per session, advance reservation required, and a participation fee. Performances include Yuda Children’s Taiko from 6:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. and Yumoto Oni Kenbai from 7:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The Kinshuko Lake Festival Fireworks will take place from 7:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The fireworks will be held in rain, but may be canceled in the event of severe weather. Food booths will open from 4:00 p.m. in front of the Yuda Government Office of Nishiwaga Town Hall, and free shuttle buses are planned. The main event, the Kinshuko Lake Festival Fireworks, will color the night over Lake Kinshuko with dreamlike fireworks reflected on the lake. This year’s theme is “Rainbow brilliance over the lake,” and the approximately 45-minute program will feature a variety of fireworks displays, including sequences inspired by Nishiwaga’s scenic views, shaped fireworks depicting Nishiwaga Town’s official character Katakurinko-chan, and a wide deluxe star mine finale. The fireworks will be produced by Yoshikazu Konno, president of Kita-Nihon Hanabi Kogyo Co., Ltd., an award-winning pyrotechnician recognized at numerous fireworks festivals across Japan. In addition to receiving the Medal with Yellow Ribbon in fiscal 2025, he has been selected as a Contemporary Master Craftsman. Known as a leading figure in creative fireworks, he is also active at major events including the Omagari Fireworks, one of Japan’s three major competitive fireworks festivals. A Fireworks Photo Contest will also be held, inviting submissions of powerful photos capturing the large fireworks blooming over the spring lake and the excitement of the crowd. The Nishiwaga Town Tourism Association will continue to share the latest information on its website and social media channels.