What other travelers are saying about Abe River Fireworks Festival
The Abe River is a first-class river flowing through Shizuoka City and emptying into Suruga Bay. Its source is located at Otani-mine, Hakko-mine, and Abe-toge Passes, and its entire basin is within Shizuoka City. Its groundwater is so clear that it's used for the city's tap water, and it has been selected as one of the "100 Famous Waters of the Heisei Era."
During the Edo period, the construction of bridges was prohibited for defensive reasons, and travelers crossed the river on the shoulders of porters or by ferry. This scene is depicted in the Edo period travelogue, "Tokaidochu Hizakurige."
The river's course was improved through a nationwide construction project by Tokugawa Ieyasu, and the confluence with the Warashina River was formed during this period. Ieyasu also planned to build a magnificent castle, "Kawabe Castle," on the left bank of the Abe River, capable of accommodating foreign ships. However, due to the Abe River's turbulent waters, the plan was abandoned, and the current Sunpu Castle was completed as an expansion.
A dike known as the "Satsuma Embankment" still remains, quietly telling the story of history as a civil engineering heritage site. The Satsuma Embankment, located in Aoi Ward, Shizuoka City, is an early Edo period embankment that still exists today. It was built by Tokugawa Ieyasu to protect the town of Sunpu from flooding of the Abe River. It is also officially known as the "Sunpu Okakoizutsumi" and was designated a Civil Engineering Heritage Site by the Japan Society of Civil Engineers in 2017.
A local specialty is "Abekawa Mochi," a simple rice cake coated in kinako (roasted soybean flour), beloved by locals.
The Abe River is also an attractive fishing spot for anglers. It is particularly popular for targeting stream fish such as ayu (sweetfish), amago (a type of trout), and rainbow trout. Fishing is prohibited in some areas near the river mouth, ensuring thorough nature conservation and safety management.
More about Abe River Fireworks Festival from our blog
Frequently Asked Questions
The main viewing area is along the banks of the Abe River, near the Shizuoka City area. Early arrival is advisable to secure a good spot, as the festival attracts large crowds.
The festival is free to attend, though there are designated paid seating areas closer to the river, offering an unobstructed view of the fireworks.
It's recommended to bring a picnic blanket or portable chairs for seating, sunscreen, insect repellent, and a jacket or blanket as it can get cooler in the evening.
The festival features a variety of food stalls offering traditional Japanese festival foods such as yakisoba, takoyaki, and taiyaki, as well as drinks and snacks.
Someone wrote that the Abe River never dries up, but the water sometimes dries up around the current Driver's License Center. I've caught carp and turtles there. The locals go out with buckets to catch fish, even though it's a race against the birds.
The river never dries up and is one of Japan's cleanest first-class rivers. Serpentine (also known as mugwort stone here) is abundant here. Shizuoka City is proud of this river.
This is a first-class river where Abekawa Mochi originated. The fragile geology of the riverbanks has caused them to collapse in many places, filling the river with sediment. Upstream is the secluded Umegashima Onsen hot spring.
It was more like a rubble river, or rather a river of gravel. Sometimes the mountainside on the other side of the road would collapse from the top, which was quite shocking. It was basically a gentle incline, so it was a good place to cycle to the source. There was also a hot spring.
