This is the list of festivals in Japan you do not want to miss!!

January to March

Tamatorisai / Tamaseseri

Participants compete to grab sacred balls, known as tama, that are tossed into the crowd. This intense and chaotic scramble is believed to bring good fortune and prosperity to those who successfully obtain a ball.

  • When: Jan 3
  • Where: Hakozakigu, Fukuoka Pref

Nanokado Hadaka Mairi

The Nanokado Hadaka Mairi is a January 7 festival in Yanaizu, Fukushima, where men in loincloths brave the cold to climb icy temple steps at Fukuman Kokuzoson. This “Naked Pilgrimage” symbolizes purification, seeking blessings for health and good fortune.

  • When: Jan 7
  • Where: Enzoji Temple, Fukushima Pref

Nishinomiya Ebisu / Kaimon Shinji Fukuotoko Erabi

Ebisu-sama is the Japanese god of good fortune, especially for fishermen and merchants. The Nishinomiya Shrine hosts the Toka Ebisu Festival, attracting many visitors seeking blessings. The main event is the “Fukuotoko(Lucky Man)” race, where participants sprint to the shrine, and the first three are crowned as lucky for the year.

  • When: Jan 10
  • Where: Nishinomiya, Hyogo Pref

Nozawa Fire Festival / Nozawa Onsen Dosojin Matsuri

It honors the deity Dosojin, believed to protect against evil and bring good fortune. The main event is a fiery battle where villagers defend a wooden shrine from being set on fire. It’s a dramatic and exciting tradition symbolizing community unity.

  • When: Jan 15
  • Where: Nozawa onsen, Nagano Pref

Wakakusa Yamayaki / Wakakusa Fire

Mount Wakakusa is set on fire to mark the new year and welcome spring. The origins are debated, but it includes 600 fireworks that enhance the event.

  • When: The fourth Saturday of Jan
  • Where: Nara park, Nara Pref

Sapporo Snow Festival

It features impressive snow and ice sculptures displayed throughout the city, including large-scale creations in Odori Park. The festival attracts millions of visitors who come to admire the intricate designs, enjoy various activities, and experience winter in Sapporo.

  • When: Early Feb
  • Where: Odori Park, Sapporo, Hokkaido

Nagasaki Lantern Festival

It features dragon dances, parades, and cultural performances, highlighting Nagasaki’s blend of Chinese and Japanese traditions. The event symbolizes good fortune and prosperity.

  • When: Mid of Feb
  • Where: Nagasaki town, Nagasaki Pref

Toba Fire Festival / Toba no Himatsuri

The festival features two giant torches, called suzumi, made of kaya grass and bamboo. These five-meter-tall torches, wrapped with twelve ropes and containing holy trees, are placed at the Toba shrine to predict the year’s harvest and weather.

  • When: The second Saturday of Feb
  • Where: Toba Shrine, Nishio, Aichi Pref

Naked Man Festival / Saidaiji Eyo

It features thousands of men in loincloths scramble to catch sacred wooden sticks thrown by priests. The event, which celebrates good fortune and health, attracts large crowds.

When: The third Saturday of Feb

Where: Saidaiji Temple, Okayama Pref

Yokote Kamakura

It features igloo-like snow huts—constructed by locals. Inside these huts, candles are lit to create a warm, enchanting atmosphere. The festival includes traditional performances, food stalls, and various activities, celebrating winter and showcasing the beauty of snow and ice.

  • When: Feb 15, 16
  • Where: Yokote, Akita Pref

Omizutori Festival / Shunie

The Omizutori Festival at Todai-ji Temple, held from March 1-14, involves dramatic fire rituals and drawing sacred water. It marks the lunar new year and aims to ensure health and good fortune.

  • When: March 1 – 14
  • Where: Nigatsudo, Todaiji Temple, Nara

Honensai

Known for its lively and somewhat unconventional celebrations, it features a parade in which participants carry giant phallic symbols and other fertility-related items. The festival prays for good harvests and fertility, and its unique and colorful traditions attract many tourists.

  • When: March 15
  • Where: Tagata Shrine, Komaki, Aichi Pref

April to June

Kanamara Festival

The festival celebrates fertility and is known for its procession featuring large, colorful phallic statues. Participants seek blessings for fertility, health, and good fortune. The event includes various stalls, performances, and traditional rituals, drawing both locals and tourists.

  • When: The first Sunday of April
  • Where: Kanayama Shrine, Kawasaki, Kanagawa Pref

Shingen-ko Festival

It honors Takeda Shingen, a renowned samurai lord from the 16th century. The festival features historical reenactments, including battles and parades, as well as traditional music and dance.

  • When: Early April
  • Where: Kofu, Yamanashi Pref

Tejikara Fire Festival / Tejikara no Himatsuri

It features dramatic fire rituals where participants carry large, flaming torches and set off fireworks. The festival, dedicated to the Tejikarao Shrine, is believed to bring good fortune and protection. The intense fire displays, combined with traditional music and performances, make it a thrilling and visually striking event.

  • When: The second Saturday of April
  • Where: Tejikarao Shrine, Gifu Pref

Gon-Gon Festival

During the festival, show strength to hit a series of bells with a long log of pine trees. The contest held as the festival’s finale, contestants compete to see how many times they can hit the bell in one minute using a long pine log.

  • When: April 18
  • Where: Asahiyama Jonichi Temple, Himi, Toyama

Takaoka Mikurumayama Festival

The Takaoka Mikurumayama Festival features an impressive parade of lavishly decorated mikurumayama, which are large, wheeled festival floats adorned with intricate carvings, gold leaf, and traditional craftsmanship.

  • When: May 1
  • Where: City central in Takaoka, Toyama

Fukunoyotaka Festival

The Fukunoyotaka Festival is known for its exciting nighttime parade featuring large, illuminated yotaka floats, which are beautifully decorated and collide with each other in a thrilling spectacle. The highlight of the festival is the fight that begins around 11:00 p.m. on the second day. The young men break each other’s andon (lanterns). The fierce fights are so powerful that they leave the audience breathless.

  • When: May 1,2 and 3
  • Where: In front of Fukuno station, Nanto, Toyama

Hakata Dontaku

Hakata Dontaku features colorful parades with performers dressed in traditional costumes, dancers, and floats. A unique element of the festival is the use of shamoji (wooden rice paddles) by participants, which they rhythmically clap during performances.

  • When: May 3, 4
  • Where: In front of the Hakata Station, Fukuoka

Aoi Festival

The Aoi Festival is one of Kyoto’s oldest festivals and it features a grand procession of participants dressed in Heian-period costumes, making their way from the Imperial Palace to the Shimogamo and Kamigamo Shrines. The festival originated as a way to pray for good harvests and protection from natural disasters.

  • When: May 15
  • Where: Kamigamo Shrine and Shimogamo Shrine

Kanda Festival

The Kanda Festival is one of Tokyo’s most famous Shinto festivals, held in mid-May at Kanda Myojin Shrine. It celebrates prosperity, good fortune, and the well-being of the community. The festival features grand parades with vibrant mikoshi (portable shrines), traditional music, and dancers, as well as displays of samurai culture.

  • When: Mid of May in odd-numbered year
  • Where: Kanda Myojin Shrine, Tokyo

Yosakoi Soran Festival

The Yosakoi Soran Festival is an energetic dance festival and it combines traditional Yosakoi dance from Kochi Prefecture with the folk song Soran Bushi, which reflects Hokkaido’s fishing culture. Thousands of dancers, dressed in colorful costumes, perform choreographed routines to a mix of traditional and modern music.

  • When: Early June
  • Where: City center in Sapporo, Hokkaido

 

 

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