murmurWamojiyaki Matsuri (Wake Fire Character Festival)
Wake Town · Yoshii River Riverside Park, Wake
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Okayama Prefecture Tourism Federation (Okayama Kanko WEB) · Last checked: Oct 11, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Sun, Aug 16, 2026 （Ended） 18:45–21:15 (character lit at 20:00, fireworks from 20:30)
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually mid August
- How the date is set
- Every year on August 16 Cancelled in case of rain
- Venue
- Yoshii River Riverside Park, Wake
- City
- Wake Town, Okayama
About
In summer, Wake lights a fire character 和 ("wa," harmony) measuring 65 meters tall and 75 meters wide on Mt. Kannon, at the same time as Kyoto's famous Daimonji bonfire. Before it is lit, every light at the venue, food stalls included, goes out, and the busy crowd hushes while the character slowly takes shape in the dark, much like a solemn ceremony. Once it is fully ablaze, about 900 fireworks burst overhead. Kiyomaro taiko drumming and a fan-lottery draw round out the evening. Traffic jams are a near-annual problem, so public transport is recommended, such as walking from JR Wake Station.
Sources
- OfficialOkayama Prefecture Tourism Federation (Okayama Kanko WEB) www.okayama-kanko.jp
Last checked: Oct 11, 2026. Event information is based on official announcements, but changes may not always be reflected here. Please check each official website for accurate details.
Other events this month
On the day, see what locals are murmuring on the murmur map
murmur is an app that shows short, anonymous posts on a map, right where they were written. On festival day, open the map around the venue and see what people nearby are saying.