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What is the “1269 Lake Ashi Summer Festival Week”?

At Hakone Shrine, located on the shores of Lake Ashi, various summer festivals are held. The “1269 Lake Ashi Summer Festival Week” was launched to encourage more people to celebrate these festivals.Kicking off with the “Lake Festival,” which honors Kuzuryu, the guardian deity of the lake, a series of festivals and fireworks displays will be held over six days starting July 31. The fireworks display on the lakeshore can also be enjoyed from sightseeing boats.

https://www.hakone.or.jp/10197

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Lakeside Festival Fireworks Display: July 31 (Fri) 8:00 PM–

A beautiful collaboration between the dazzling fireworks and the water’s surface rippling in the breeze

The highlight of the “1269 Lake Ashi Summer Festival Week” is the fireworks display held as part of the “Lake Festival” in Moto-Hakone Bay.
At dusk, the chief priest of Hakone Shrine will sail out onto the lake to offer a sacrifice to Kuzuryu Myojin, the guardian deity, and upon his return, the fireworks display will begin.Approximately 5,000 fireworks will be launched, including underwater fireworks that bloom on the calm lake surface, rapid-fire displays, and star mines. As they brilliantly illuminate the night sky and reflect off the lake’s surface, they create a scene full of charm, setting the stage for a romantic midsummer evening.

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1269 Annual Grand Festival Commemorative Fireworks Display: (Sat) August 1, 8:00 PM–

Fireworks display in front of the Torii gate, full of festive atmosphere

This is the second day of the “1269 Lake Ashi Summer Festival Week.” Continuing from the previous day, a fireworks display commemorating the 1269th anniversary of Hakone Shrine’s establishment will be held in Moto-Hakone Bay.After morning rituals are held on the shrine grounds, fireworks will be launched starting at 8:00 PM right in front of Hakone Shrine’s “Torii of Peace.”
The sight of approximately 2,300 fireworks illuminating not only the sky but also Lake Ashi is breathtakingly beautiful. You can enjoy a night filled with the festive spirit of the festival.

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Hakone-en Summer Night Festa: August 2 (Sun) and 3 (Mon), starting at 8:00 PM each day

The collaboration of "Digital Starmine" and Japanese drums is a masterpiece.

On August 2 and 3, the “Hakone-en Summer Night Festa,” featuring shows and fireworks, will be held at “Hakone-en,” a mixed-use commercial property on the shores of Lake Ashi. A total of approximately 6,000 fireworks will be launched over the two days.
The biggest draw is the location. You can watch the fireworks up close as they are launched right in front of “Hakone-en.” In particular, the collaboration between the “Digital Star Mine”—where fireworks and music are synchronized by computer—and a traditional Japanese taiko drum performance is truly spectacular.The program also features a rich variety of displays, ranging from aerial fireworks—such as Niagara falls, message fireworks, rapid-fire fireworks, and No. 4 shells—to underwater fireworks and small-scale pyrotechnics. Sightseeing boats depart from “Hakone-en,” and viewing the fireworks from the lake is also a popular option.

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Kojiri Ryujin Festival Fireworks Display: August 4 (Tue) 8:00 PM–

Underwater fireworks", semicircular flowers blooming on the surface of the lake, are exceptional.

This fireworks display is part of the “Kojiri Ryujin Festival,” a festival honoring Kuzuryu Myojin, the guardian deity of Lake Ashi.After a Shinto ritual is performed at Kuzuryu Shrine, the sacred fire is carried to Lake Shiraito Bay and used to light a bonfire; this serves as the signal for the fireworks to begin.The highlight is the underwater fireworks. When fireworks are launched toward the lake’s surface, a semicircular bloom appears on the water, and the sight of the fireworks’ sparkle reflecting off the surface is truly breathtaking. The fireworks in this small bay, with the mountains looming close by, create a particularly powerful and immersive experience as the sound echoes off the surrounding cliffs.

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Torii-yaki Festival Fireworks Display: (Wed) August 5, starting at 8:00 PM

A fantastical world woven from the burning torii gate and fireworks

This fireworks display marks the grand finale of the “1269 Lake Ashi Summer Festival Week.”
Following the rituals at Komagata Shrine, two large torii gates specially erected on the lake are set ablaze. The sight of the torii gates burning fiercely, their silhouettes glowing against the water, transports viewers into a mystical world.At the same time, the fireworks display begins. Rotating through three types of fireworks—from large “shakudama” shells that color the high sky in a dazzling display, to beautiful fireworks that bloom close overhead, and underwater fireworks that fan out across the lake’s surface—approximately 3,500 fireworks are launched continuously until the torii gates burn to the ground.Combined with the burning torii gate, the lake’s surface is vividly illuminated.

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Hakone Gora Hot Spring Daimonji Fire Festival: (Sun) August 16, starting at 7:30 p.m.

The "Dai" (big fire) and the fireworks are a magnificent display.

Held annually around Obon since 1921 (Taisho 10), it is one of the Three Great Festivals of Hakone.
The event takes place near the summit of Mt. Myōjō (also known as “Mt. Daimonji”), at an elevation of 924 meters. The character “Large” (da) is formed using 250 bundles of dried shinodake bamboo, each about 30 cm in diameter, and 200 to 300 torches, each about 2.5 meters tall.Once lit, the character emerges from the darkness, and approximately 2,000 fireworks light up the summer night sky one after another.
The sight of beautiful fireworks blooming above the fiery character blazing majestically on the mountainside is truly magical.