Giant Paper Balloons Flying in the Night Sky in Senboku City, Akita (Kami-Hikkiuchi Paper Balloon Raising 2026)

  • Akita
  • Sightseeing
Moon and paper balloons
In the snowy landscape of Kamihikinai, colorful giant paper balloons slowly rise into the night sky....
The Kami-Hikkiuchi Paper Balloon Raising, held every February in Senboku City, Akita Prefecture, is a popular event that attracts many people from all over Japan as a spectacular winter event representing the Koshogatsu season. The fantastic sight of paper balloons covered with lights lights lights up the hearts of visitors with warmth and hope.

About Paper Balloon Festival of Kamihinokinai

About 60 giant paper balloons (the largest is 12 meters long), decorated with pictures of warriors and beautiful women and lit with lights, dance in the clear midwinter night sky, wishing for good health, a bountiful harvest, and family safety in the coming year.
This event has a history of more than 100 years, but there is no written record of its beginnings. Legend has it that Gennai Hiraga, a scientist of the Edo period, introduced the event as a game based on the principles of hot-air balloons when he visited the copper mine for technical guidance.
Fireworks and paper balloons

How to make giant paper balloons

In recent years, paper balloons have become increasingly huge, and instead of the traditional half-sheet of paper, they are made by pasting together sheets of commercial Japanese paper about 1 meter wide, with some giant paper balloons ranging from 3 to 8 meters in length, with the largest reaching 12 meters. About two months prior to the launch, residents of each of the eight districts in Kami-Hinokochi work together to make the paper balloons, cutting the washi, selecting the designs, and working together to produce a total of about 60 paper balloons of various sizes.
Many of them are painted with pictures of warriors and beautiful women.

Paper balloons floating in the night sky all at once

Finally, the paper balloons are launched into the night sky! It is a fantastic sight to see the paper balloons, filled with the wishes of many people, slowly ascending into the night sky. At the beginning and end of the festival, all the paper balloons go up at once, attracting many tourists with their cameras ready. The fantastic sight of the paper balloons disappearing into the starry night sky is also known as "winter fireflies.
Paper balloons of various sizes go up at once! Image courtesy of Akita Fun

About daytime paper balloons

The daytime paper balloon festival is held in the early evening when it is still light. The ethereal combination of snowy scenery and paper balloons is different from the fantastic atmosphere of the night, and it is a time when you can easily feel the true nature of the scene. Also, while the nighttime simultaneous launch attracts many people, the daytime paper balloon festival is less crowded, allowing visitors to get a real sense of the work of local residents.
The daytime balloons in 2025
For the official website of "Kami-Hikinai paper balloon raising", visit
Date: Tuesday, February 10, 2026
Venue: Nishiki-cho Paper Balloon Plaza (7 minutes walk from Kamihikinai Station on the Akita Nairiku Line)

For details, please visit the official website

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