What to do and see in Kyushu, Kyushu: The Best Seasonal Fireworks

This fireworks festival is held at Kashiihama Beach (near Kataosa Beach) on Hakata Bay, located near Kashii-gu, a shrine dedicated to the Empress Jingu. Approximately 7,700 multicolored fireworks are launched, vividly painting the summer night sky. In addition to viewing the show from the land, the floating restaurant Mariera offers a popular dining cruise for guests to enjoy the fireworks at sea. In the spirit of a fireworks display "for the people, by the people," the cleanup the next day relies on volunteers.

This fireworks display is held in the city of Yanagawa, facing the bay on the Ariake Sea. The launching site and viewing area are very close to each other, giving a feeling that the large fireworks are even bigger. The greatest highlights of the show are the "Sky Niagara Yanagawa Special" that travels about one kilometer, and the starmine viewed at a wide angle. In addition to the usual venue, barbecue seats are available for a fee, and tons of fun can be had in the evening before the show at various shops and events.

The Nakagawa Festival is held every August in Nakagawa, Chikushi District, Fukuoka Prefecture. The festival combines a night market with a variety of stage events like quizzes and concerts. For a finale, the small town will be filled with a fireworks display with 4,000 launches. The show can be viewed from the festival grounds, or you can take a shuttle bus around the town that stops in the country to see the show in peaceful surrounds.

This fireworks show in Okawa, Fukuoka Prefecture has a history going back 60 years. The Chikugo River where the display is held is one of the premier rivers of the Kyushu region, and this is the largest fireworks display held in its lower reaches. The area has no tall buildings to obstruct your view of the show, so spectators are sure to be able to appreciate the roughly 5,000 fireworks from the large river terrace or the opposite bank. The festival is held every year in early August, and is always bustling with street stalls.

In Iizuka in Fukuoka Prefecture, head to Nakano-shima on the Onga River to find a historic fireworks show that has been held over ninety times. 6,000 Fireworks are launched into the night sky. They include a 400m "waterfall" and massive special fireworks considered to be the largest in the western Japan area. Finally, there are creative interpretations like fireworks simulating a motorcycle racing down a track -- inspired by the nearby racetrack.

A fireworks festival held on Nishinohama Beach near Karatsu Castle and visited by about 200,000 spectators from the prefecture and beyond. In the largest fireworks display in Saga Prefecture, about 6,000 fireworks such as giant Nishakudama that explode into a huge 500m-diameter flower, or gimmicks like the Niagara spread to fill the night sky. You can also enjoy the fantastic spectacle of the fireworks against the illuminated Karatsu Castle.

Miyama in Fukuoka Prefecture is known as a key fireworks region, so you can expect its own event to be spectacular: 8,000 fireworks go off, with 30 fancy ones -- the largest scale fireworks display in the prefecture. The local fireworks craftsmen vie to outdo each other, with new pieces appearing seemingly each year. Spectactors will be amazed at the "live music" fireworks and the fireworks with messages written in them. The event is held around the Yabe River, with a 1km long flowing fireworks "waterfall" at the end.

A traditional fireworks festival that has been held since the Taisho era (1912-1926), this show spans the mouth of the Onga River area and is held each summer. Pontoons in the river launch off close to 7,000 fireworks in exquisite timing, and this show can be seen from either bank. A must-see is the way large blooming rings of fireworks explode in tune to festive music. Another can't-miss are the "underwater" fireworks that seem to bloom out of the water. The show concludes with a beautiful waterfall flowing into the river from both banks.

The Yatsusiro All Japan Fireworks Competition is held on the third Saturday of October in Yatsusiro, Kumamoto Prefecture. It is the only competitive fireworks competition in western Japan. Thirty skilled fireworks experts from around the country congregate to vie for the prize. In addition to the competition, there is a musical fireworks show, with the blasts timed to music, and the "Wide Star Mine," where a huge barrage of fireworks all go up. In total, 12,000 beautiful fireworks illuminate the skies of Yatsusiro. In addition to free seating along the banks of the Kuma River, there are also special VIP seats to see the action up close.

Held on the floodplains of the Oyodo River in Tsurushima, Miyazaki, this fireworks festival has been a traditional sign of summer for over 60 years, with 10,000 colorful fireworks-special trick fireworks, flurries of starmines, and more-lighting up the night sky. The finale features a "Niagara Falls" display that illuminates both the sky and the surface of the river. A paid seating area with chairs and reclining seats is also offered, as well as tableside seats where you can relax and dine while you watch the show.