July

30 June – 2 July

Aizen Festival

Shoman-in (Aizen-do) Temple, Osaka

This is one of Osaka’s three major summer festivals, and celebrates Aizen Myo-oh, the greatest of the eight Buddhist guardian gods.  Throughout history Aizen Myo-oh has been worshipped as the god of charms and popularity.  Thousands of people flock to Osaka every year for this festival to watch the geisha being paraded atop decorated palanquins. 

4-8 July

Shounan Hiratsuka Tanabata Festival

Shounan City, Kanagawa Prefecture

This is one of Japan’s biggest Tanabata festivals, with colorful decorations and lights to brighten the downtown area.  This festival attracts over three million visitors every year.

6-8 July

Iriya no Asagao-ichi

Kishibo-jin Shrine, Taito Ward, Tokyo

Iriya flowers are thought to symbolize the start of summer and are believed to bring good luck.  Every year thousands of people visit the area to buy flowers from street vendors.

9-10 July

Shiman Rokusen-nichi

Sensou-ji Temple, Asakusa, Tokyo

“Shiman Rokusen-nichi” means “day of 46,000”.  It is believed that a visit to Sensou-ji Temple on July 9 or 10 is the equivalent of visiting on 46,000 regular days.  Thousands of people flock to the temple during this period and hundreds of street stalls sell potted ground cherry plants and wind chimes.

12-13 July

Danjiri Festival

Kumata Temple, Osaka

Local men ride festival floats that are towed vigorously through the Hirano area.  This exciting festival attracts over 300,000 visitors annually.

14-15 July

Nachi-hi Festival

Kumano-Nachi Taisha, Nachi Katsuura, Wakayama Prefecture

A summer festival which culminates with an ancient purification ritual that involves 12 giant torches being swung vigorously by priests wearing traditional white robes as they ascend and descend the stone steps at Nachi Falls (a 133m waterfall).

15 July

Hakata Gion Yamagasa

Kushida Shrine, Fukuoka

A sacred Gion festival that dates back to the 13^th century.  Magnificently crafted floats depicting scenes for historical legendary tales are displayed throughout the city.  The Kakiyamakasa race takes place at 5am, which involves teams of men carrying small replicas of the floats racing around a 5km circuit to see who can make the best time, with spectators throwing water of the participants as they race past.

Gion Festival

17 July

Yasaka Shrine, Kyoto

Kyoto’s Gion festival is considered to be one of the most popular festivals in Japan, and features lavishly decorated festival floats.  This festival is celebrated for the entire month of July, but the highlight parade takes place on the 17^th.

Third Friday-Sunday in July

Toyohashi Gion Festival

Yoshida Shrine, Toyohashi City, Aichi Prefecture

A summer festival that culminates in a magnificent display of fireworks that are hand-made and set off by their makers who hold them in position while spectacular flames fly out.  The makers wear extra strong traditional clothing and douse themselves in water for protection.

19-21 July

Kokura Gion Taiko

Yasaka Shrine, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture

This festival has a taito drumming competition that attracts over 100 different teams and thousands of spectators every year.

20 July

Samukawa Shrine Hamaorisai

Samukawa Shrine, Chigasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture

The parade begins at 2:30am and proceeds through the city streets towards the beach, with people joining the procession along the way.  At dawn, thousands of people observe the purification ceremony in the ocean.

20-27 July

Yamaguchi Gion Festival

Yamaguchi City, Yamaguchi Prefecture

This festival is modeled from the Kyoto Gion Festival.  The Yamaguchi version features an ancient and elegant dance performed by people in winged costumes.  The dance and costume of this festival are said to represent the courting dance of the heron.

20, 24, 27 July

Yasaka Shrine Festival

Yasaka Shrine, Shimane Prefecture

A summer festival that features an ancient and elegant dance performed by people in winged costumes.  The dance and costume of this festival are said to represent the courting dance of the heron.

20-24 July

Osorezan Taisai

Bodaiji Temple, Matsu City, Aomori

Mt Osore is considered to be a place where the souls of the dead gather.  Every year, people climb to the top of the mountain to speak to the spirits, and the path to the summit is studded with pinwheels that parents place for their deceased children.

20-21 July

Nagasaki Peiron Senshukan

Matsugae International Pier, Nagasaki City, Nagasaki Prefecture

This festival was created by the Chinese residents of Nagasaki in the 17^th century.  Long wooden boats race on a 4km course in the harbor with a team of 35 people, including a drummer and bailer.

20-22 July

Uchiwa Festival

Yasaka Shrine, Kumagaya, Saitama Prefecture

This festival is famous in Japan for the highly decorated floats and the round fans that are distributed to festival observers.

21 July – 20 August

Sapporo Summer Festival

Odori Park, Sapporo, Hokkaido

Odori Park and the surrounding streets become a beer garden for this festival.  There are many different types of entertainment and festivities.

22-24 July

Aizu Tajima Gion Festival

Tajima Town, Fukushima Prefecture

This festival features Shinto music and dance, children’s kabuki theatre and taiko drumming.

23-24 July

Warei Shrine Summer Festival

Warei Shrine, Uwajima City, Ehime Prefecture

A parade led by “ox-demon” effigies crosses the river followed by hundreds of people carrying torches.  Other attractions include “bull sumo” (two bulls fight to push each other out of the ring) and fireworks.

23-25 July

Soma Nomaoi

Hibarigahara, Haramachi, Fukushima Prefecture

This festival commences with a parade of over 600 horsemen in full military dress.  The horsemen participate in various activities, finishing with men dressed in white chasing wild horses around the shrine in order to offer them to the gods.

23 July

Honmyo-ji Tonshae

Honmyo-ji Temple, Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture

Thousands gather at the temple to watch monks from over 120 different temple climb stone steps lined with hundreds of lanterns to the mausoleum of a feudal lord.

24-25 July

Tenjin Festival

Tenmangu Temple, Osaka

One of Japan’s three major festivals.  The first day includes a festival of floats with drumming and dancing, the second day features a drum-led procession that ends on the river with 100 lantern-lit decorated boats that have displays of bugaku and kagura. 

Mid July

Kangensai

Itsukushima Shrine, Miyajima, Hiroshima Prefecture

Decorated boats are towed from the Torii gate at Itsukushima to the opposite shore with Shinto rituals and classical bugaku dance being performed onboard.

26-28 July

Otaru Tide Festival

Otaru Wharf, Otaru City, Hokkaido Prefecture

This is one of the most popular sea festivals in Japan, with thousands of people attending every year.  People line the streets to dance, and paper lanterns decorate the entire city.  Paper lanterns are set adrift at the wharf and numerous boats parade around the bay alongside the lanterns.

Fourth weekend in July

Owari Tsushima Tenno Festival

Tenno River, Aichi Prefecture

This is one of Japan’s top three river festivals.  Five straw boats are decorated with paper lanterns and then sail along the Tenno River.

27-28 July

Tai Festival

Toyohama, Minamichita Town, Aichi Prefecture

This is a fishermen’s festival to pray for good fishing at sea. 

27-28 July

Yokohama Summer Night Festival

Yamashita Park, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture

Musicians and dancers perform on stages in the park and floating stages in the bay.

27 July

Sumida River Fireworks Display

Sumida River, Asakusa, Tokyo

This is one of the biggest fireworks displays in Japan, and is said to date back to Edo times (1603-1867) when fireworks makers gathered to compete to create the most spectacular displays.

30 July – 1 August

Sumiyoshi Festival

Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine, Osaka

This is the last of Osaka’s major summer festivals, and features Shinto purification ceremonies and parades.

31 July – 3 August

Hachinohe Sansha Taisai

Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture

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.

Planning a trip to Japan?  Check out our calendar of festivals:

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