Latest Events in Kitakyushu City(July Updated)

The 39th Kanmon Strait Fireworks Festival will be held in 2026, the only fireworks festival in Japan to cross a strait and prefectural border. Approximately 18,000 fireworks will be launched from both sides of the strait—Moji Port in Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture, and Shimonoseki City in Yamaguchi Prefecture. Highlights on the Moji Port side include a series of large-scale fireworks and musical fireworks, while the Shimonoseki side features 15-inch large firework shells and underwater fireworks. As in previous years, there will be no free viewing area around the festival site in 2026; only those who purchase sponsored tickets to improve, protect, and beautify the environment of Moji Port will be allowed entry.

The Gion Festival, with a history of over 400 years, is celebrated by devotees of Kasuga Shrine, Okada Shrine, and Ichinomiya Shrine. Ornately decorated floats parade through the Kurosaki area. Accompanied by Gion music played with drums and conch shells, the floats are carried with great effort, a scene sometimes referred to as "battle floats." The "rotating parade," where floats are violently pulled and spun, is an even more spectacular sight.

The Gion Festival, held in Kokura, the heart of Kitakyushu, boasts a 400-year history. It has been designated the first National Important Intangible Cultural Heritage – Taiko Drumming. The Kokura Taiko Festival is a grand parade pulled by a float (dashi) carrying taiko drums, with drummers playing as they walk. This is a signature summer event in Kokura, with drummers energetically striking cymbals (jangara) and various drums to the cheers of the crowd. The unique technique of playing drums while walking is not to be missed. The highlight of the festival is the competition held in the plaza in front of the main gate. Every year, over 100 teams, including adult and youth groups, participate in this fierce competition, showcasing their meticulously practiced drumming skills, footwork, and passion. During the "Omotenashi Taiko" event, you can also touch and play a taiko drum yourself – don't miss it!

Experience the "World Beer Route," feel the sea breeze on your face, and immerse yourself in its rich history. At the retro bar in Moji Port, a once-thriving international trading port, renowned beers from around the world are gathered together! Savor traditional European lagers or vibrant South American beers while feeling the gentle sea breeze blowing from the Kanmon Strait. Gazing at the brightly lit red-brick buildings, you'll feel as if you've stepped into an exotic resort.

The Tobata Yuen Yamakasa Festival, with a history of over 220 years, is a major historical event in the Tobata area of ​​Kitakyushu City and has been listed as an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. During the day, giant floats decorated with tall banners parade through the streets. At night, these floats transform into "Lantern Yamakasa," about 10 meters high, illuminated by 309 lanterns, forming a stunning pyramid of light that lights up the streets under the night sky.

An exhibition will be held to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Watase Seizo, an artist associated with Kitakyushu and honorary director of the Manga Museum. Since his debut in 1974, Watase has continued to draw colorful worlds. The exhibition will feature all 24 of his recently completed “Tokyo Koyomi” and “Kyo Koyomi,” which depict long-distance romances set in Tokyo and Kyoto, as well as “Heart Cocktail” and rare manga manuscripts and materials from his pre “Heart Cocktail” nonsense manga days. Please come and see the trajectory of Watase Seizo.

Yamada Ryokuchi will extend its opening hours to coincide with the firefly viewing season and will host the 2025 Yamada Firefly Festival. The nine-day "Special Guided Firefly Discovery Tour" will be held throughout, and advance registration is required. You can listen to the guide's explanation while observing the Genji and Heike fireflies that inhabit Yamada Ryokuchi.

Please show your "Reserved Name+Reserved Phone Number+Trip Order Page(not a screenshot)" to pick up your ticket(s). Ticket pick-up address: West Japan General Exhibition Center AnnexMain Entrance Gate. Ticket pick-up time: On the day of the show.16:00-19:00(JST)on 7thJune;14:00-17:00(JST)on 8thJune(JST). Latecomers will not be able to pick up ticket(s) and enter the venue. The Korean pop girl group LE SSERAFIM has announced their new world tour2025 LE SSERAFIM TOUR 'EASY CRAZY HOT'! This tour serves as the grand finale of their mini-album trilogy, which includesEASY(released in February 2024),CRAZY(August 2024), and the upcomingHOT (March 14, 2025). The trilogy highlights the group's evolution and musical diversity, making the tour exceptionally special. LE SSERAFIM aims to spread joy and encourage fans to live in the moment through this tour, promising an unforgettable and thrilling experience. The highly anticipated"EASY CRAZY HOT"Fukuoka concert will take place at West Japan General Exhibition Center, New Building, from June 7 to 8, 2025.

A traditional event in Tobata Ward with a history of over 200 years. Designated as an important intangible folk cultural property of the country and one of the "three major summer festivals" in Fukuoka Prefecture, it is widely known by the nickname "Lantern Mountain". It was listed as a UNESCO World Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2017. The summer festival of the three shrines of Tobata Hachimangu Shrine, Sugawara Shrine, and Nakahara Hachimangu Shrine. Lantern Yamakasa removes all the decorations of the flag-shaped Yamakasa, builds a tower about 7 meters high on the platform, and decorates it with 309 lanterns, divided into 12 floors. This form of lantern Yamakasa is the largest in Japan (total height of 8.5 meters), and its scale is breathtaking. Its biggest feature is that the flag-shaped Yamakasa during the day will turn into a pyramid-shaped lantern-shaped Yamakasa at night. In the evening, all 8 flag-shaped Yamakasa simultaneously turn into lantern-shaped Yamakasa, showing a five-stage rise. 8 pyramids of light decorate the summer night sky, and the movement of the lantern-shaped Yamakasa creates a dreamlike and unique beauty.