Calendar of Japanese festivals (matsuri) 30 July – 1 August Sumiyoshi Festival Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine, This is the last of 31 July – 3 August This is one of the most colorful nebuta festivals in the prefecture. Magnificent floats parade the streets led by musicians and dancers. A traditional polo-like game is played by teams of horsemen at Shinra Shrine. 1 August PL Founder’s Festival Fireworks Art PL Headquarters, A special event of the 1-3 August Sansa Festival A dance festival that attracts over 20,000 participants annually and parades through the streets to the beat of 5,000 drummers. 1-3 August Nagaoka Festival Nagaoka, The parade features over 500 participants in full samurai armor, as well as traditional dances, music and taiko drumming. Over 600,000 attend this festival annually. 1-7 August Hirosaki, This festival attracts approximately 1.5 million people annually and features parades of huge bamboo and paper lanterns carried on floats. After the festival, the boats are cast into the ocean in a purification process to rid the town of illness and bad fortune. 2-4 August This festival commemorates the reopening of 2-4 August Wasshoi Hyakuman Summer Festival This festival boasts numerous parades, dances and other festivities. 2-7 August Nebuta Festival Dating back to the 9th century, this festival features a parade of bamboo and paper lanterns, accompanied by dancers and drumming. The lanterns are shaped like historical or legendary heroes, and these faces are believed to wake sleepy souls in the summer heat. 3-4 August This festival features a parade of dancers and traditional music. Street vendors line the streets and the festival culminates in a fireworks display at Ishitori Festival Kasuga Shrine, Participants ring bells and beat taiko drums while over forty floats parade around the city, this festival is considered to be the loudest festival in 3-4 August Matsue Suigo Festival This festival holds numerous events on rivers, canals, lakes and moats throughout the city. 4 August Oshika Whale Festival Oshika, This festival celebrates the whaling history of Oshika and features demonstrations of traditional whaling techniques, with visitors having the opportunity to sample the whale cuisine and watch the fireworks display. 4-5 August Shiogama, This is one of 4-7 August Kanto Festival This is one of the three major festivals of northern 5 August Torii Yaki Festival Two torii gates are erected in the lake and ceremoniously burnt. Adding to the magic of this scene are thousands of candle-lit lanterns. 5-7 August Hanagasa Festival This is one of the biggest festivals in the Tohoku region, and consists of townspeople dancing a traditional dance with hanagasa (straw hats decorated with three flowers) along the main street. 6 August Peace Ceremony This solemn ceremony is held annually on the anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb on 6-8 August Tanabata Festival This is the most famous of 7-9 August This is 7-10 August Touki Festival Gojo District, This is 9-11 August Yassa Festival Mihara, A lively festival featuring traditional music and dance. 9-12 August Yosakoi Festival Over 15,000 people dance to local traditional music with individualized dance moves and costumes. A unique extravaganza to witness. 12-15 August Awa Odori Festival This is one of 11-12 August A religious ritual that features Noh theatre performed by firelight, admission fees apply. 12-14 August Sanuki Takamatsu Festival This is one of 13-16 August Tetsuya Odori Festival Gujo-Hachiman, A major Obon festival that draws thousands of observers to watch the evening dances. 14 August Suichu Hanabi Taikai Itukushima Shrine, This festival features the biggest fireworks display in 14-15 August Mantoro Lantern Lighting Kasuga Taisha, This festivals features performances of Bugaku and Kagura, as well we the lighting of over 2,000 stone lanterns and 1,000 bronze hanging lanterns in the evenings. 15 August Shoro Nagashi This festival is held at the end of
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Toro Nagashi Hanabi Taikai This is one of Matsushima’s most popular festivals and features over 8,000 glowing lanterns floating on the bay, as well as a spectacular fireworks display. This festival is held on the eve of a service for the dead who have no surviving relatives at Zuigan-ji.
Yamaga Toro This festival features a parade of women wearing yukata and holding lanterns on their heads as they perform a “lantern dance”. 15-17 August Mishima Summer Festival This festival commemorates the victory of General Minamoto Yoritomo at a nearby garrison over 800 years ago. The festival features a procession of people dressed in period military costume, dance parades and a fireworks display. 15-18 August Tomioka Hachimangu Festival Tomioka Hachiman Shrine, Koto-ku, This festival is held three times a year and features a large parade that travels along a 6km route with participants being sprayed with water by onlookers. 16 August Toro Nagashi Festival This festival features over 10,000 paper lanterns that are floated across the bay with a spectacular fireworks display. 16 August Hakone Daimonji Yaki Hakone, Bonfires measuring 108m across are lit in the shape of the Chinese character for large near the summit of Mt Myojogatake. This festival also features a fireworks display.
Daimonji Bonfire Mt Nyoigadake, This festival features a spectacular bonfire that is lit near the summit of Mt Nyoigadake. The bonfire is shaped like the Chinese character for large, with other, smaller bonfires of Chinese characters being lit on nearby mountains. 16 August Mando Nagashi Festival This festival features the floating of festival lanterns across the bay with 19-20 August Hanawa Bayashi This festival features a parade of wooden floats carrying musicians playing traditional music. 23-24 August Sento Kuyo This festival is a memorial service for the graves of people who have no surviving family members. Candles and lanterns are lit for each of the temple’s 8,000 graves. Only 2,000 people are admitted each day and reservations are required. 23-24 August Toi Misaki Fire Festival Legend states and a serpent that once terrorized the town was killed by a monk throwing a torch into its mouth. Today, a 30m pillar is erected to represent the serpent and flaming torches are thrown at it, creating a magnificent show of fire. 24 August Gangara Fire Festival Atago Shrine, Dating back over 350 years, this festival features 4m-long torches being paraded through the city and bonfires shaped like the Chinese characters for large and first being lit near the summit of Mt Satsuki. 24 August Zenkoku Hanabi Kyogi Taikai This is considered 26-27 August Giant Lantern Festival Suwa Shrine, Ishiki, The grounds of the Shrine come to life with the lighting of numerous paper cranes. 26-27 August Yoshida Fire Festival Yoshida, This is one of 27-28 August Koenji Awa Odor Festival A huge festival that features thousands of people dancing in the streets to traditional music. 31 August Usuki Stone Buddha Fire Festival Usuki, Torchlights illuminate the stone Buddha statues in the evening. Last Sunday of August Minami Kirishima Jingu, Street vendors sell local crafts and food while onlookers watch reenactments of local myths.
Eisa Festival This festival features traditional dance, music and drumming, and ends with a magnificent fireworks display. |
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