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Hamamatsu – Tenryu River and Akiha Shrine

HOME > Japan’s Local Treasures > Hamamatsu – Tenryu River and Akiha Shrine

Be showered in sparks at a Shinto fireworks festival and cool off with water sports

Hamamatsu City

Located halfway between Tokyo and Osaka, Hamamatsu is home to famous Japanese brands including Yamaha music and motorcycle and car manufacturers, Suzuki and Honda. Do a factory tour to see pianos being made, vintage cars, and the process of creating a vehicle, from inception to manufacturing and sales. But that is far from all there is to do in this Shizuoka Prefecture City. If you want to enjoy splendid nature and explore cultural sites, Hamamatsu is a great place for you to choose.

Slide down bare rocks and dive into the basin of a waterfall to feel nature with your whole body in a canyoning courses on the Tenryu River. If you’d prefer a slower pace, take in the river’s view from a kayak or canoe.

For pyrotechnics fun, head to the Tezutsu Hanabi (lit. ‘hand-held fireworks’) Festival, held in the precinct of Akiha Shrine every July. It is a splendid show of over 200 hand-held fireworks and also aerial fireworks lighting up the sky. Hand-held firework launchers used for the festival are candles handmade by local residents and consist of a bamboo tube wrapped in rope and held by a person to light. They are believed to provide miracle protection against fire disaster and misfortune.

This is the head Akiha shrine in all of Japan and people from across the country come here to pray for protection against fires or, for those who work with fire, like firefighters and chefs, to pay their respects at this shrine.