Imabari Onmaku Festival: Summer Fireworks and Dancing at the Shimanami Gateway
If you are travelling the Shimanami Kaido in summer, it is worth timing your trip around Imabari’s biggest event: the Onmaku Festival. Held over two days at Imabari Port, it combines street dancing, traditional performances, food stalls, and a spectacular fireworks show over the sea — all at the Shikoku-side gateway of the cycling route.
What is “Onmaku”?
“Onmaku” comes from the local Imabari dialect, where it means something like “a lot,” “with all your might,” or “to the fullest.” So the Onmaku Festival is, quite literally, a festival for enjoying yourself to the max. It was born when two separate events — the Imabari Port Festival and the “Bari Matsuri” — were merged into a single citizens’ festival, and today it is the biggest summer celebration in the city.
Fireworks over Imabari Port
The festival’s headline event is the “Onmaku Yume Hanabi” fireworks show over Imabari Port — around ten thousand shells launched in a program set to music and arranged into several themed sequences. Each year the show is built around a different theme; the 2026 theme is “Nostalgia.” It has also earned real recognition nationwide: the show has been voted number one in online rankings both for fireworks people “want to see” and fireworks that were “worth going to see.” Because Imabari has few tall buildings, the fireworks can be seen from many spots around the city — and you can even catch them (a little smaller) from the walkable Shimanami Kaido bridge, with a pleasant sea breeze.
More than fireworks: dancing and tradition
The festival runs across two days, and there is far more to it than the fireworks finale. On festival days, the main streets around the Dondobi shopping arcade and the broad Hirokoji avenue (from the city hall down to Imabari Port) become pedestrian zones filled with energy. Highlights include Dance Barisai, a lively dance parade in which teams fill the streets, and tsugijishi — a striking traditional performance in which lion dancers are stacked on one another’s shoulders. Rows of food stalls line the streets with festival classics like grilled snacks, shaved ice, and cold drinks, and the atmosphere is warm and family-friendly. In other words, arrive in the afternoon and there is plenty to enjoy long before the first shell goes up.
When is it held?
The festival takes place in summer, and in 2026 it is scheduled for Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 August, with the fireworks on Sunday 9 August from around 20:00 to 20:50 (postponed to a later date in case of bad weather). Please note that the exact dates and format can change from year to year — and the festival’s timing and format are expected to change in the coming years, so it may not always fall on these early-August dates. Always confirm the current schedule on the official website before planning your trip, especially if you are looking ahead to a future year.
Getting there from JR Imabari Station
On foot: the festival takes place around central Imabari — the port area, Hirokoji and the shopping arcades. Imabari Port, where the fireworks are launched, is about a 15–20 minute walk from JR Imabari Station.
Map: Open in Google Maps (Imabari Port — the fireworks area)
Festival-day note: streets get very crowded and buses run on diverted routes during the festival, so walking from the station is the practical way in and out.
Traveller’s tips
Arrive early. Roads and parking around the port fill up well before the fireworks, so come early and enjoy the dancing and stalls first.
Watch from a distance. Thanks to the flat skyline, quieter viewing spots away from the crowd are easy to find; the bridge is one atmospheric option.
Plan your exit. Traffic is heavy once the fireworks end, so allow extra time and take care getting home.
Reserved paid seating. If you want a guaranteed, comfortable view of the fireworks rather than jostling for a spot, paid reserved seats are sold for a limited period before the festival (in 2026, from 17 June to 5 August). Tickets are handled through Lawson Ticket: you can book online, or buy in person at the Loppi machines in Lawson and MINISTOP convenience stores across Japan. Seat types and prices are announced on the official website each year, so check there for the current details — and book early if you want them, as good seats for a top-ranked show go fast.
Getting there. The venue is central Imabari, walkable from JR Imabari Station, so it pairs naturally with a Shimanami Kaido trip.
What to wear. Early August is hot and humid, so light clothing, a hand fan, and water are worth having; a summer yukata adds to the fun if you have one.
Expect crowds. As one of the region’s biggest summer events, Onmaku draws large crowds from across Ehime, which is part of the atmosphere — but it means patience and a little planning pay off.
Make a summer day of it
Come into Imabari during the day, try a bowl of the city’s famous yakibuta tamago meshi, soak at a hot spring near the station, then head to the port for the evening’s dancing and fireworks. For anyone riding the Shimanami Kaido in early August, the Onmaku Festival turns a great ride into an unforgettable one — just double-check this year’s dates before you set off.
Original article in Japanese: 行ってみたい花火大会全国一位に選ばれた！おんまく祭り
