Little-Known Spots and Recommended Restaurants for Watching the Jingu Gaien Fireworks Festival Discover Oishii Japan -SAVOR JAPAN -Japanese Restaurant Reservation Guide-

Update-Date: Jun 3, 2025

Author: SAVOR JAPAN

Little-Known Spots and Recommended Restaurants for Watching the Jingu Gaien Fireworks Festival

Fireworks festivals are a summer tradition in Japan. Even in Tokyo, you’ll see fireworks festivals, small and large, taking place across the metropolis during the summer. One of its most famous fireworks festivals is the Jingu Gaien Fireworks Festival, which also happens to be known as one of the three best fireworks festivals in Tokyo in terms of scale and grandeur. Read on to discover the highlights of this fireworks show and the best spots to view the fireworks.

What Is the Jingu Gaien Fireworks Festival?

The Jingu Gaien Fireworks Festival is a time-honored fireworks show that will be held for the 42nd time this year. An urban fireworks festival that also features concerts by famous artists, is a big event where visitors can enjoy the fireworks while listening to live performances. This year, it will be held on August 12th (Saturday). Note, though, that they have not yet announced who will be performing at the event (as of the end of June 2023). People are holding their breath in excitement about the artists who will liven up this year's festival.

While most fireworks shows in Tokyo are held near rivers or the sea, the Jingu Gaien Fireworks Festival is unique because it takes place right in the middle of the busy city. You can buy seats in Meijijingu Gaien’s Jingu Stadium and Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Stadium and watch the night sky light up with 10,000 beautiful fireworks.

Japanese fireworks are famous for their wide variety, including those that burst into a large spherical shape, those that form not just one but two or even three circles to look like the core of a flower, and those that change colors while they are exploding in the sky. Created from the creativity of the Japanese people and the expert skills of Japanese pyrotechnicians, Japanese fireworks are certainly worth comparing with those in your own country.

2023 Jingu Gaien Fireworks Festival
[Date] August 12th (Saturday) *August 13th (Sunday) is the backup date
[Fireworks launch time] Fireworks show will start at 7:30 pm and end at 8:30 pm (estimate)

Can't Get Inside the Venue? Head to These Little-Known Viewing Spots!

The Jingu Gaien Fireworks Festival is an extremely popular event, so tickets sell out early most of the time. Can't get a ticket? Don't give up on watching the fireworks! There are actually some well-kept secret spots where you can watch them.

・Jingu Gaien Ginkgo Avenue
Jingu Gaien’s Ginkgo Avenue, a popular spot for strolling, is close to the fireworks show venue, allowing many to watch the beautiful fireworks without having to pay. It's best to come early, though, as it will surely get crowded.
[Nearest station] A 6-minute walk from Gaiemmae Station and Aoyama-itchome Station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line

・Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery
The Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery, located inside Meijijingu Gaien where the fireworks festival will be held, is also recommended as a spot for watching the fireworks for free. There is a plaza in front of the gallery that gives you a really good view of the fireworks. Cars are not allowed to enter the area, so you can watch the fireworks display without any worries.
[Nearest station] A 6-minute walk from JR Shinanomachi Station and Kokuritsu-Kyogijo Station on the Toei Subway Oedo Line

・Tokyo Tower Observatory
You will need to pay to get into Tokyo Tower, but you won't regret paying as the Jingu Gaien Fireworks Festival will be visible from the observatory. Tokyo Tower has a 150-meter main deck and a 250-meter top deck. The view of the fireworks from the observatory has a completely different vibe from the view from the ground.
[Nearest station] A 5-minute walk from Akabanebashi Station on the Toei Subway Oedo Line or a 7-minute walk from Kamiyacho Station on the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line
[Admission fee] Main deck: 1,200 JPY; Top deck: 2,800 - 3,000 JPY

Recommended Restaurants After the Fireworks Display

After admiring the breathtaking fireworks, it's now time to eat at a restaurant serving delicious food! Below are two restaurants with cozy terraces that are not that far from the venue of the fireworks show.

TOGO'S (Gaiemmae / Japanese Cuisine)

TOGO'S is a restaurant on the top floor of a 14-story building that is conveniently located just a minute's walk from Gaiemmae Station! Headed by its chef, who helped establish New York's legendary restaurant NOBU NEW YORK CITY, this restaurant offers modern Japanese cuisine that is not restricted by traditional Japanese cuisine rules.

Enjoy a full-course meal that unfolds like a story from appetizer to dessert. Some of the courses available are the Chef's recommended specials (15,400 JPY) that will let you enjoy nine dishes including soba noodles; the Highly recommended meat course (14,300 JPY) with handpicked meat carefully prepared and cooked in the most delicious ways; and the Best choice of the TOGO's fish course (12,600 JPY) that features seafood ordered straight from fishermen and carefully cooked into delicious dishes. You will surely be enthralled by the dishes that showcase the taste and skills of the restaurant's chef, who made a name for himself overseas.

At night, you can see the Tokyo skyline from the seats on the spacious terrace. There are, of course, other seating options available, including table seating, counter seating, and private rooms, so you can choose according to the occasion.

TOGO'S

Open: [Tuesday - Sunday, National Holidays, Day before National Holidays] Lunch 11:30 am - 3:00 pm (L.O. 2:00 pm) / Dinner 6:00 pm - 11:00 pm (L.O. 9:30 pm)
Closed: Monday
Average price: [Dinner] 15,000 JPY / [Lunch] 2,500 JPY
Access: 1 minute walk from Gaienmae station. Proceed south on Aoyama-dori after exiting from exit 1a, and you will find it right away after turning left at the first corner. Call 1401 on the intercom
Address: 14F, Seizan, 2-26-32, Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo Map
More Details Reservation

SOAK (Shibuya / Dining Bar)

SOAK is a futuristic restaurant and bar found at the top floor of Shibuya's famous next-generation lifestyle hotel sequence MIYASHITA PARK. Here, you can bask in an extraordinary moment of bliss in a stylish space while looking at the spectacular nightscape below. Have a mean cocktail mixed by the bartenders or some original and creative dishes inspired by the concept of "mixed culture," in which different cultures collide and give birth to new values.

A must-try at this restaurant is the Temari (Salmon, Conger Eel, and Shrimp) (from 2,420 JPY), a new and original appetizer of sushi balls which maiko (apprentice geisha) in Kyoto love, arranged in the style of the classic Italian dish “Insalata di Riso” which is a kind of rice salad. You also have to check out the live DJ on weekends!

Enjoy amazing cocktails at the restaurant’s terrace, which commands a bird's-eye view of Shibuya at night while savoring the afterglow of the fireworks.

SOAK

Open: Dinner 6:00 pm - 11:00 pm (L.O. 11:00 pm)
Closed: None
Average price: [Dinner] 5,000 JPY
Access: About 5 minutes walk from Hachiko-mae Exit of Shibuya Station on the JR Yamanote Line
Address: 18F, MIYASHITA PARK North, 6-20-10 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Map
More Details Reservation

Fireworks festivals are truly one of the best ways to experience the true atmosphere of summer in Japan while you're deep in the heart of Tokyo. The Jingu Gaien Fireworks Festival, in particular, is held near the popular Shibuya and Harajuku areas, so on your way home from the festival, you can drop by for some shopping and sightseeing. So, what are you waiting for? Enjoy Japan's fireworks on a hot summer evening!

Disclaimer: All information is accurate at time of publication.

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