Featured Events in Nagano in 2025 (November Updated)

The November fireworks display held in Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture, is a rare sight even in Japan. Established in 1899 (Meiji 32), the display celebrates the history and traditions of Nagano, once the temple town of Zenko-ji Temple. Because only experienced pyrotechnicians can participate, it's known as the "Successful Fireworks Display." Today, it remains one of Japan's leading fireworks displays, renowned for its exceptional quality. Gorgeous and extravagant fireworks illuminate the clear, late autumn night sky. Enjoy spectacular displays by Japan's finest pyrotechnicians, including the annually popular "Musical Starry Sky," a fusion of music and fireworks, and the "Super Wide Starry Sky."

Toshio Suzuki, producer of Studio Ghibli, has worked with directors Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki to bring numerous animated films to the world. This exhibition will focus on the films and books Suzuki encountered as he continued to move through the ages, and will unravel the secrets of Ghibli works.

In 2025, to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the birth of the Sanada Jumangoku clan, the Matsushiro Sanada Jumangoku Festival will be held in Matsushiro Town on Saturday, October 11th, and Sunday, October 12th. This year's theme is "Ten Generations of Sanada Conquests!" A magnificent historical spectacle will be recreated. On October 11th, enjoy the thrill of the Kawanakajima Battlefield Fireworks Display, held at the nearby Kawanakajima Ancient Battlefield Park around 6:00 PM—approximately 3,000 fireworks illuminate the autumn sky in a tribute to history. The main event on Sunday, October 12th, begins with a morning artillery and taiko drum performance, followed by a grand parade featuring samurai and nobles, departing from Matsushiro Castle Park around 12:45 PM. The parade winds through the town for approximately two hours before returning to the castle.

The Togakushi Soba Festival, a grand event held annually in late October, celebrates the region's buckwheat heritage, which spans over a thousand years. In 2025, the main events will take place on October 30th and 31st. On the evening of October 30th, Nakasha Shrine holds the traditional soba tool burning ceremony, marking the end of the soba harvest season. During the ceremony, old soba-making tools are burned in prayer to the gods for a bountiful harvest in the coming year. The ceremony begins at 4:30 PM and is accompanied by local festival activities, including traditional music and rituals. The following day, October 31st, the "New Soba Offering Festival" takes place in the Nakasha Shrine grounds. The ceremony concludes around 12:30 PM, with freshly picked soba noodles offered to the deities of Togakushi Shrine as a token of gratitude and respect. Around 12:30 PM, participating soba restaurants and partner accommodations will sell approximately 15 servings of "holy soba," giving you the opportunity to savor the "holy soba" firsthand.