Latest Events in Kushiro City(July Updated)

This fireworks festival is being held at "Kushiro Daiyo Donburi Shiro," the largest event in Kushiro, Hokkaido. The "don" (rice bowl) itself, along with the numerous stalls offering a dazzling array of seafood and other ingredients, forms the origin of the "don" dish. The event will take place on September 12th (Saturday) and 13th (Sunday), 2026, lasting two days. The fireworks display will take place on the 12th (Saturday), with 10,000 fireworks launched near the Kushiro River mouth, lasting approximately 50 minutes. The magnificent starburst fireworks illuminate the Kushiro River and Kushiro Port, creating a dreamlike spectacle in the early autumn night sky. The event will feature the largest fireworks display in eastern Hokkaido, with a diameter of 600 meters. The enormous fireworks bursting from the dark night sky emitted a deafening roar that echoed throughout the entire venue.

The festival's name, "Donpaku," comes from the sound "don" makes when fireworks explode, and the Japanese word "paku-paku," which is used to express a love of food. As the name suggests, the main event is a spectacular fireworks display, with the Niagara fireworks display passing over the Kushiro River, a continuous stream of fireworks, Hokkaido's largest sanjaku-dama display, and a host of other events. There are also many food-related events, with about 100 food and beverage producers participating in the Kushiro Suehiro Hashigo Sake Festival and the famous Kushiro Oh! Sakana Festival, where you'll find freshly caught mackerel and squid and giant tuna right before your eyes.

The event will be held at the open-air stage of Kushiro Saikyo-cho Park, where you can enjoy the "sea mist", the natural symbol of Kushiro. The main attraction of the event is the laser show that renders the foggy night sky colorful, allowing you to immerse yourself in a dreamy space where fog, lasers and sound interweave. In addition, the "sea mist market" where you can enjoy live music and food made with seasonal ingredients is also very popular.

While not an ancient tradition, the Marimo Festival has been held at Lake Akan since 1950. It's organized by prominent members of the Ainu community to protect the local marimo (round balls of algae) from further pollution. The afternoon and evening of the second day of the festival feature a parade, dance, and a ritual to protect the marimo. This ceremony, called "Kamuynomi" (meaning "prayer to the gods"), is performed by the Ainu. On the final day, the marimo is returned to the lake with another parade and traditional canoes.

Akan Lake Ice Festival ICE · Love · Akan "Winter Beauty" At Lake Akan, fireworks are set off every night, adding magnificent colors to the night sky! Fireworks are set off over the frozen Lake Akan at -20 degrees Celsius. After watching the fireworks, soak in the Akan Lake Onsen and go home! During this period, you can also participate in various activities at the limited-time snow and ice leisure park "Aisu Land Akan". There are all kinds of fun winter rides such as snowmobiles, banana boats, and four-wheel off-road vehicles (charges apply). Enjoy the winter of Akan Island!