2026 Kiwa Fire Festival Full-Day Course

A full-day course centered on the 2026 Kiwa Fire Festival (August 1 / Saturday) that fully captures the mountainous Kiwa area of Kumano City, Mie Prefecture. Start at noon at Michi-no-Eki Kumano · Itaya Kurogobei-no-Sato (道驛 熊野・板屋九郎兵衛の里) with local specialties and souvenir hunting, then head to Maruyama Senmaida (丸山千枚田), selected as one of Japan's 100 finest terraced rice fields, to admire the spectacular stone-walled rice paddies spread across mountainous terrain. In the afternoon, explore the history of the former mining industry at the Kiwa Mining Museum (紀和鉱山資料館), then ride the nostalgic trolley train to Yunokuchi Hot Spring (湯ノ口温泉). Rest and enjoy dinner in the hot spring village at a leisurely pace. After sunset, move to the Kitayama River (北山川) riverbed and spread out your leisure mat to secure your viewing spot. At 9 PM, approximately 500 fireworks light up the quiet mountain sky one after another. Unlike large-scale venues, the babbling river and mountain echoes make the fireworks feel extraordinarily close and vivid—a perfect summer evening for families to enjoy at their own pace. This is a unique one-day plan exclusive to Kiwa Town, combining nature, history, and hot springs in one indulgent experience.