Kamihinokinai Paper Balloon Festival 2026

【schedule】

Tuesday, February 10, 2020

[Event details]

There are no written records of this event, but legend has it that Hiraga Gennai, a scientist from the Edo period, introduced it as a game that applied the principles of hot air balloons when he visited a copper mine to provide technical guidance.It is an annual event in which over 50 giant paper balloons decorated with pictures of warriors and beautiful women, each lit with a light, dance in the midwinter night sky like twinkling stars, with wishes for the year such as good health, bountiful harvests, and safety for the home.

●Venue

Nishikimachi Paper Balloon Square (7 minutes walk from Kami-Hinokinai Station on the Akita Inland Line)

●About parking and public transportation

There is parking capacity for approximately 370 regular vehicles, but this number may decrease due to weather or snowfall. As parking is limited and significant traffic congestion is expected, we ask that you use the Akita Nairiku Jukan Railway.

Click here for the 2026 Paper Balloon Festival parking lot location map

*Advance parking reservations are no longer available for bus operators on group tours, and for those traveling in medium-sized or large camper vans.

●Program for the day

15:00 Venue opens 15:30 Local performing arts performance 16:40 Daytime balloon launch 18:00 All-out launch 19:00 Paper balloon launch with wishes written on it 20:00 On the day of the final launch, there will be stalls and food trucks set up.

Akita Prefecture Southern Winter Festival Stamp Rally 2026

We will be holding the “Akita Prefecture Southern Winter Festival Stamp Rally 2026,” which will take you around seven winter festivals in the southern region of Akita Prefecture (Daisen City, Semboku City, Misato Town, Yokote City, and Yuzawa City). If you collect two or more stamps and apply, you will be entered into a lottery to win local specialties from the southern region of Akita Prefecture. In Semboku City, the stamps include the paper balloon launch at Kamihinokinai on February 10th and the Hifuri Kamakura festival in Kakunodate on February 14th. Please come and join us! Akita Prefecture Southern Winter Festival Stamp Rally 2026 (website under preparation)

[Contact Information]

Nishiki Tourist Information Center: Tel: 0187-42-8480 (for inquiries on February 10th) Kamihinokinai Branch Office: Tel: 0187-49-2159

[Download link]

Nishiki Area: Paper balloon launch in Kamihinogi

Akita Nairiku Jukan Railway Co., Ltd.