2026 Biwako Grand Fireworks Festival: A Full-Day Itinerary
Centered on the Biwako Grand Fireworks Festival held on Thursday, August 6, 2026, this full-day course lets you enjoy the Otsu area from midday onward. In the afternoon, stroll around the Lake Biwa Museum of Culture and the Hamaotsu area on the shore of Lake Biwa, Japan's largest freshwater lake, walking leisurely along the lakeshore while gazing at the Mt. Hiei mountain range. At the historic Mii-dera (Onjo-ji) (三井寺・園城寺), settle your mind amid the National Treasure temple complex and quiet grounds, then in the evening have an early dinner around Otsu Port while securing your spot. Once night falls, about 10,000 fireworks are launched from the water off Otsu Port, painting the vast surface of Lake Biwa and the night sky with great blossoms of light. Representing summer in Shiga, the lake country, the Biwako Grand Fireworks Festival is also known for the beauty of the fireworks reflected on the lake's surface, delivering a night the whole family will remember. This is the definitive plan for an Otsu summer, combining a daytime temple stroll, cool lakeside air, and the excitement of the night into one.
Schedule
A midday stroll along the shore of Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake, taking in its open, expansive feel
Quietly tour the National Treasure temple complex of the 1,300-year-old head temple of the Tendai Jimon sect
Learn about the history of Lake Biwa and Otsu while cooling off inside a museum
An early dinner around the port, claiming a spot while watching the Lake Biwa dusk
About 10,000 fireworks from the waters off Otsu Port, dyeing Lake Biwa's surface and the night sky
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