Chubu · YamanashiFestival
One hundred and eight bonfires lit at once along two kilometres of the Fuji River, every 15 August.
Overview
Nanbu no Hi-matsuri (南部の火祭り) is held on the riverbed at Nanbu Bridge in Nanbu Town, southern Yamanashi. It braids three traditions into one evening: an Obon send-off fire, a river memorial rite, and a mushi-okuri insect-repelling rite for the rice crop.
The signature is hyakuhattai — 108 conical woodpiles lit simultaneously along roughly two kilometres of both banks of the Fuji River. The number matches the 108 earthly desires of Buddhist tradition.
Note on the name: a separate, smaller Nanbu Matsuri is held in Nanbu Town, Aomori Prefecture — a community festival with a children’s music programme, yosakoi and fireworks, held on 8 August 2026. This article covers the Yamanashi fire festival.
When and Where
Date: Saturday 15 August 2026. Fixed to 15 August every year.
Programme: 15:00–18:00 stage shows; 18:30 opening declaration; 18:40 Nanbu Himatsuri taiko and nage-taimatsu thrown torches; 19:30 toro-nagashi floating lanterns; 19:45 the great torch lit; 20:00 the 108 bonfires lit; 20:15 fireworks and bon-odori; 20:45 fireworks end. Traffic control runs until 22:00.
Venue: the Fuji River riverbed at and around Nanbu Bridge, Nanbu Town, Minamikoma District, Yamanashi.
Getting There
Take the JR Minobu Line to Unasen Station; the main venue on the Mukainada side is roughly a ten- to twenty-minute walk depending on which stretch of bank you are heading for. By car, Nanbu IC and Tomizawa IC on the Chubu-Odan Expressway are both in the town, and Shin-Shimizu IC on the Shin-Tomei is about twenty minutes away.
The town publishes an official flyer and venue map PDF each year marking road closures, one-way sections and car parks — worth downloading before you set out, since traffic control runs to 22:00.
What to Expect
The sequence is fixed and builds deliberately: thrown torches first, then the great torch, then the floating lanterns on the river, then the 108 bonfires along both banks, and finally fireworks overlapping with bon-odori dancing from 20:15 to 20:45.
The town runs a public application allowing outsiders to help build and light one of the hyakuhattai piles. In 2026 this came with a stage introduction slot and free passes to the Nanbu-no-Yu hot spring; applications had already closed by mid-August.
Tickets and Admission
Free, with open riverbank viewing and no official paid seating.
A viewing area for wheelchair users and visitors with mobility needs is available on the second floor of the Alpha Center, 18:00–21:00, for up to two helpers per person. Arrange this in advance with the festival executive committee on 0556-66-2111.
Tips for Visitors
Download the town’s venue map PDF first. Road closures and one-way sections are marked on it, and traffic control runs until 22:00.
Register the town’s official LINE account. Nanbu Town consolidates the schedule, JR timetables and the venue map there.
Arrive by 18:30 at the latest. The evening runs as a single continuous sequence from the opening declaration, and arriving mid-way means missing the build-up.
Access and Map
| Date | Saturday 15 August 2026 (fixed annually to 15 August) |
|---|---|
| Times | Stage shows from 15:00; main programme 18:30–20:45; traffic control to 22:00 |
| Venue | Fuji River riverbed at Nanbu Bridge, Nanbu Town, Minamikoma District, Yamanashi |
| Access | JR Minobu Line to Unasen Station, approx. 10–20 min walk |
| Admission | Free; open riverbank viewing |
| Official site | Nanbu Town, Yamanashi |
Source: Nanbu Town official website (Yamanashi)
Also: Nanbu Town festival background page
Image: Photo: Asano Masumichi / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
