Katsushika Fireworks 2026: 60th Anniversary Complete Guide
Katsushika Fireworks 2026: 60th Anniversary Complete Guide
On July 28, 20,000 fireworks go up 20 minutes from Kanamachi Station. There's also a drone show this year. It's the 60th anniversary—Katsushika Ward has been building this one.
I'm Atsushi, host at Bon House in Kanamachi. I send guests to this festival every July, and the 60th edition is the one I've been telling people to plan around. Most Tokyo fireworks guides focus on Sumida River. But for anyone staying in eastern Tokyo, the 葛飾納涼花火大会 (Katsushika Noryo Hanabi Taikai) is a better night out: closer, less chaotic, and with a local crowd that's been coming for decades.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Date | Tuesday, July 28, 2026 |
| Time | 19:20–20:30 (70 min) |
| Venue | Shibamata Baseball Field, Edogawa riverbank, Katsushika Ward |
| Fireworks | ~20,000 |
| Special feature | Drone show (60th anniversary) |
| Rain date | July 29, 2026 (following day) |
| Nearest station | Keisei Shibamata (10 min walk) |
| From Bon House/Kanamachi | 20 min walk |
Why This Year is Different
The 葛飾納涼花火大会 started in 1966. At 60 years, this is the round anniversary that typically sees extra investment from the ward—more coordination with sponsors, the drone light show running alongside the fireworks, and special commemorative programs in the buildup.
The drone show is a meaningful addition. Most Tokyo fireworks festivals are purely pyrotechnic. A synchronized drone show combined with 20,000 fireworks is a different kind of spectacle, particularly for families or anyone who hasn't seen drone formations before. The exact programme for the 60th anniversary will be announced closer to the date, but the combination of scale and the special feature makes this the standout local event of summer 2026.
Getting Here from Kanamachi
There are three practical routes, each with a different tradeoff.
Route 1: Walk from Kanamachi (JR) — 20 minutes
The most direct option from Bon House. Head south from Kanamachi Station along the Edogawa riverbank path. It's flat the whole way. If the weather is pleasant and you're not in a rush, this is the route—you arrive already in the festival atmosphere, watching food stalls set up and families in yukata walking the same direction.
Good for: anyone who wants the full experience from door to riverbank.
Route 2: Keisei Kanamachi → Keisei Shibamata — fastest
From Keisei Kanamachi Station (separate from JR Kanamachi — a 5-minute walk from Bon House), take the Keisei Kanamachi Line one stop to Keisei Shibamata. Journey time: about 5 minutes. From Shibamata Station, it's a 10-minute walk to the venue through the old shopping street (Taishakuten Sando) and past Shibamata Park.
This route drops you right at the heart of the festival approach. The Taishakuten Sando has food stalls and the atmosphere of old Shitamachi Tokyo. Worth doing at least one direction.
Good for: guests who want the Shibamata approach experience, or anyone who doesn't want to walk 20 minutes before standing for 70 minutes of fireworks.
Route 3: Shin-Shibamata (Hokuso Line) — 15-minute walk, least crowded exit
Shin-Shibamata Station on the Hokuso Line sits on the opposite side of the festival site from Shibamata. The walk to the venue is 15 minutes. More importantly, the station crush after the show is significantly less severe than at Keisei Shibamata, where large post-show crowds funnel through a narrow area.
Good for: the return journey. Consider going via Shibamata for the atmosphere, and returning via Shin-Shibamata to avoid the crowd.
Viewing Spots
Paid Reserved Seats
The main reserved seating zone is set up along the riverbank adjacent to the baseball field launch site. These are the best sight lines—you're directly facing the launch area, with unobstructed views and a seat for the full 70 minutes.
How to buy: CNPlayGuide (cnplayguide.com) is the main ticketing platform. Prices run approximately ¥2,000–¥3,500 per seat depending on zone.
Sales schedule: - Resident priority sales: early June (for Katsushika Ward residents) - General sales: mid-June
Set a reminder for mid-June if you want reserved seats. They sell out within days of general release. The resident priority batch goes first and significantly reduces what's available to general buyers.
葛西神社 (Kasai Shrine) Riverbank Area — Free
The riverbank path that runs past 葛西神社, upstream from the main viewing zone, is consistently less packed than the areas directly facing the launch site. You're slightly farther from the center of the show, but the fireworks at 20,000 are large enough that "farther" still means excellent viewing. This area fills from 17:30 onward but doesn't reach the same density as the main zone.
Bring a mat. There are no seats and no infrastructure—just the riverbank, the grass, and the sky.
Shin-Shibamata Side (Right Bank)
Crossing to the Chiba side of the Edogawa River puts you on the right bank, across from the main Katsushika viewing area. The density here is much lower. Sight lines are slightly angled relative to the launch site, but for a festival this size, the fireworks fill the sky in both directions. Families who want space and quiet tend to end up here.
Access: walk across the bridge from Shin-Shibamata side. Arrive by 17:00 to get a good spot.
Crowd Timing
The festival starts at 19:20. The mistake most first-time visitors make is arriving at 19:00.
Arrive by 17:00 if you want a free spot with comfortable sight lines. By 17:30, the better free positions along the riverbank are filling. By 18:00, the approach from Shibamata Station is dense and the good free spots are gone.
The crowd peaks around 18:30–19:00, just before the show. After the show ends at 20:30, the station approaches—particularly Keisei Shibamata—get extremely congested. If you're in no hurry:
- Wait at a riverside convenience store or stay on your mat until 21:00
- Then take the Shin-Shibamata route or walk back to Kanamachi
If you're walking back to Bon House from Kanamachi Station, there's no station crowd to worry about—just a 20-minute walk along the river, which is actually pleasant after the fireworks.
Tickets
The festival has two tiers: free public viewing (no ticket required) and paid reserved seats.
Free viewing: No ticket needed. The riverbank is public space. Arrive early for position.
Paid reserved seats: - Platform: CNPlayGuide (cnplayguide.com) — search "葛飾納涼花火" or "Katsushika Hanabi" - Resident priority: early June - General sales: mid-June - Price range: approximately ¥2,000–¥3,500 per seat - The 60th anniversary may include premium packages — check the official Katsushika Ward website for announcements from May onward
There are no on-the-day ticket sales at the venue for the reserved section.
Staying nearby means you can leave early, grab yukata from your room, and walk over without rushing. Bon House is 20 minutes from the venue — check July availability →
What to Bring
Yukata: July 28 is peak yukata season. Shibamata is one of the best remaining places in Tokyo to wear one without feeling self-conscious. If you have one, bring it. If you don't, rental shops in Asakusa do same-day rental and return.
Bug spray: July riverbank. Non-negotiable. Mosquitoes are thick along the Edogawa after dark.
Seating: A folding mat, newspaper, or small camping cushion. The riverbank is grassy-to-gravelly depending on where you set up.
Food: There are food stalls but they get long queues after 18:00. Eat beforehand or bring snacks. The convenience store near Keisei Shibamata Station stocks well before major festivals.
Cash: Food stalls are cash only. ¥3,000–¥5,000 is more than enough for the evening.
IC card: Charged and ready. You don't want to queue at a ticket machine post-show.
A Family from Hong Kong
A family of four came to Bon House last July—parents and two kids, primary school age, from Hong Kong. It was their first time in Tokyo and they'd read about fireworks festivals in a travel blog but weren't sure if the kids would find it interesting.
They walked from the guesthouse in yukata. The kids had never seen fireworks from a riverbank before—in Hong Kong the vantage point is usually from a distance. When the show started, they were maybe 200 metres from the launch site.
The mother told me the next morning: "They said it felt like the fireworks were ON them." The youngest had covered his ears but refused to move. They walked back along the river after 21:00 when the crowds had thinned, stopped at a convenience store, and were asleep by 22:30.
That's the Katsushika experience. It's not Sumida River with 600,000 people. It's a ward festival that the neighbourhood actually attends, close enough that you feel the concussive thud in your chest.
Getting Back
Walking to Kanamachi (JR): 20 minutes. Best option if you're staying at Bon House and the crowd is the main concern. The riverbank path is well-lit during and after the festival.
Keisei Shibamata: 10-minute walk to station. Crowded for 30–40 minutes post-show. If you go this route, wait until after 21:00 before heading to the platform.
Shin-Shibamata (Hokuso Line): 15-minute walk, far less crowded post-show. Connects to Keisei Takasago and Ueno direction. The better option for guests not staying near Kanamachi.
Kanamachi Station (JR) via Shin-Shibamata: If you want to avoid the walk back but also avoid the Shibamata crush—take Hokuso Line from Shin-Shibamata toward Keisei Takasago, then transfer to Keisei Kanamachi Line back to Keisei Kanamachi.
The walk is the cleanest option for Bon House guests. No transfers, no platform crush. The Edogawa riverbank after fireworks, with families heading home and the food stalls packing up, is a good end to a summer evening.
Bon House is a 20-minute walk from the venue. Check availability for July →
For the full picture of Tokyo's 2026 fireworks season—all five festivals with dates and access—see the Tokyo Fireworks 2026 Complete Guide.
Also worth reading for your Katsushika visit: Shibamata Travel Guide — the shopping street you'll walk through on the way to the venue, and a full afternoon's worth of old Tokyo.
If you're deciding where to base yourself: Where to Stay Near Asakusa covers the comparison between the Asakusa side and eastern Tokyo for summer festival access.
FAQ
Is the Katsushika fireworks festival free? Free viewing along the public riverbank — no ticket required. Paid reserved seats (approximately ¥2,000–¥3,500) go on general sale in mid-June via CNPlayGuide and sell out quickly. The free spots are excellent if you arrive by 17:00.
How do I get tickets for the Katsushika fireworks 2026? CNPlayGuide (cnplayguide.com) is the main platform. General sales open mid-June. Katsushika Ward residents get priority access in early June. Search for "葛飾納涼花火" on the site. No on-the-day ticket sales at the venue.
Is the Katsushika fireworks festival near Kanamachi? Yes — it's the closest major Tokyo fireworks festival to Kanamachi. The venue is a 20-minute walk from Kanamachi Station (JR), or a 5-minute train to Keisei Shibamata and then a 10-minute walk. Bon House guests can walk there directly.
What is the best spot to watch the Katsushika fireworks? For reserved seating: the paid zone near the baseball field has the best sight lines. Book via CNPlayGuide in mid-June. For free viewing: the 葛西神社 riverbank area is consistently less crowded than the main zone and still has excellent views. Arrive by 17:00 for a good position.