Kanto · KanagawaFireworks
Yokosuka marks the spot where Commodore Perry came ashore in 1853 with a parade, a bon-odori and roughly 7,000 fireworks over the beach.
Overview
Kurihama Perry Festival (久里浜ペリー祭) commemorates Commodore Matthew Perry’s 1853 landing at Kurihama — the arrival of the “black ships” that forced open Japan’s ports. Yokosuka City holds an official landing-commemoration ceremony in Perry Park, and the rest of the day is a full-scale summer festival built around it.
Despite the “summer festival” label often attached to it, this is a July event, not an August one. The 2026 edition was held on Saturday 11 July.
When and Where
Date: Saturday 11 July 2026. Held annually on one Saturday in mid-July.
Hours: festival 10:00–20:00; fireworks 19:30–20:00; paid-seat gates open 17:00.
Venue: Perry Park (7-14 Kurihama, Yokosuka City) and Kurihama Beach, with paid seating on the quay behind CAINZ HOME.
Light rain does not stop it; severe weather cancels the event outright, with no rain date.
Getting There
Take the JR Yokosuka Line to Kurihama Station or the Keikyu Kurihama Line to Keikyu-Kurihama Station. From either it is about fifteen minutes on foot to the beach viewing area and about twenty to Perry Park. Alternatively take a Nobi-Kaigan-bound bus from Keikyu-Kurihama Station for around ten minutes and alight at Perry Kinenhi.
There is no event parking at all, and road closures apply on the day — the organisers direct all visitors to the trains.
What to Expect
The programme spans the whole day. The Perry landing ceremony runs 10:30–11:30 in Perry Park; the Kaikoku Bazaar occupies the Kurihama shopping street 10:00–15:00, reopening as a Night Bazaar 16:00–20:00. The KURIHAMA Parade runs 15:00–16:30, and bon-odori dancing takes place 18:00–19:30 at Kurihama Elementary School, co-organised with the JGSDF Kurihama Garrison.
The finale is the fireworks: roughly 7,000 shells in 2026, up from around 5,000 in 2024, which the organisers describe as the largest summer display in the area. Attendance runs at about 80,000 people. Elsewhere in the programme you will find mikoshi, dashi floats, kiyari chanting and a Yokosuka Fire Brigade marching band.
Tickets and Admission
Free to attend. Paid “general sponsor seats” on the CAINZ quay cost ¥3,000 for a chair seat and ¥9,000 for a pair seat, with roughly 3,000 seats available. Sales opened on 5 June 2026 via TicketPay and at Hashimoto Chaho in the Kurihama shopping street; pair seats sold out. Tickets are non-refundable if the event is cancelled, and a printed paper ticket is required for entry.
Tips for Visitors
Buy paid seats the day they go on sale. They open over a month ahead and pair seats sold out in 2026. Tickets must be printed at a FamilyMart or 7-Eleven kiosk before you arrive.
Paid seats come with restrictions. Re-entry is allowed, but tripods, tents, your own chairs and pets are banned, and you may not stand to watch or photograph.
Do not drive. There is genuinely no event parking, and Kurihama’s roads close on the day.
Access and Map
| Date | Saturday 11 July 2026 (annually, one Saturday in mid-July) |
|---|---|
| Hours | Festival 10:00–20:00; fireworks 19:30–20:00 |
| Venue | Perry Park and Kurihama Beach, Yokosuka City, Kanagawa |
| Access | JR Kurihama or Keikyu-Kurihama Station, approx. 15–20 min walk; no event parking |
| Admission | Free. Paid quay seats ¥3,000 (chair) / ¥9,000 (pair). |
| Official site | Kurihama Perry Festival |
Source: Kurihama Perry Festival official site
Also: Yokosuka City Tourist Information (cocoyoko.net)
Image: Photo: Quercus acuta / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 — Perry Park (venue); no fireworks-night photo exists under a free licence
