Gion Festival
The Gion Festival is one of Japan’s most famous and oldest festivals, held throughout July in Kyoto. Originating over 1,000 years ago to ward off plagues, it is centered around Yasaka Shrine. The highlight is the grand Yamaboko Junko, a parade of elaborately decorated floats (yamaboko) pulled through the streets. The festival also includes traditional music, dances, and ceremonies.
- When: Whole month of July
- Where: Mainly in Yasaka shrine, Kyoto
Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival
The Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival is a dynamic and centuries-old event held annually from July 1-15 in Fukuoka. The highlight is the thrilling Oiyama race on the final day, where teams of men in traditional attire race through the streets carrying heavy, beautifully decorated floats called yamakasa. The festival, dedicated to the deity of Kushida Shrine, celebrates strength, unity, and tradition, attracting large crowds for its vibrant atmosphere and intense competitions.
- When: July 1 – 15
- Where: Central Hakata, Fukuoka
Nachi Fire Festival(Nachi no Ogi Matsuri)
Nachi Fire Festival, also known as the Nachi no Ogi Matsuri, is one of Japan’s most famous fire festivals, celebrating the spirits of the 12 deities enshrined at Nachi Falls. The festival features large, flaming torches carried by men dressed in white, symbolizing the purification of the waterfall. The dramatic sight of the torches and the waterfall creates a powerful and sacred atmosphere, honoring nature and the gods.
- When: July 14
- Where: Kumanonachi Taisha Shrine, Wakayama
Gujo Odori Festival
The Gujo Odori Festival is a traditional dance festival held in Gujo Hachiman, Gifu Prefecture, from mid-July to early September. It is one of Japan’s longest-running dance festivals, with roots going back over 400 years. The highlight is the “All-Night Dance“ held for four consecutive nights in mid-August. Participants of all ages, including locals and visitors, dance together in the streets to traditional songs. The festival promotes community spirit and is celebrated for its open, welcoming atmosphere where everyone is encouraged to join the dance.
- When: Mid July – Early September
- Where: Central Gujo Hachiman, Gifu
Tenjin Festival
The Tenjin Festival is one of Japan’s most famous festivals. The festival features a grand river procession with illuminated boats, a lively land parade with portable shrines, and spectacular fireworks. Known for its vibrant atmosphere, traditional performances, and historical costumes, it celebrates Osaka’s rich cultural heritage and is one of the city’s biggest events.
- When: July 24 – 25
- Where: Osaka Tenmangu, Osaka
Hachinohe Sansha Taisai Festival
The Hachinohe Sansha Taisai is an annual festival held from July 31 to August 4 in Hachinohe, Aomori. It honors the deities of three local shrines and features grand parades with elaborately decorated floats, traditional music, and performances. The festival also includes a procession of costumed participants, horses, and lively performances of traditional Japanese arts.
- When: July 31 – August 4
- Where: Central Hachinohe, Aomori
Morioka Sansa Odori Festival
The Morioka Sansa Odori Festival is known for its large-scale parades featuring thousands of dancers and taiko drummers performing in unison through the city streets. The festival celebrates local folklore and is rooted in a legend of driving away demons with drumming.
- When: August 1 – 4
- Where: Central Morioka, Iwate
Nebuta Festival
The Nebuta Festival features large, illuminated paper floats, called Nebuta, which depict historical figures, mythological characters, and warriors. These colorful floats are paraded through the streets, accompanied by dancers known as haneto, drummers, and musicians. The festival celebrates Japanese folklore and history, attracting millions of visitors with its lively atmosphere, stunning floats, and energetic performances.
- When: August 2 – 7
- Where: Central Aomori, Aomori
Akita Kanto Festival
The Akita Kanto Festival is known for the impressive display of large kanto, long bamboo poles adorned with paper lanterns. Skilled participants balance these kanto, which can weigh up to 50 kg and reach 12 meters in height, on their hands, shoulders, and foreheads. The festival, a prayer for a good harvest, is accompanied by traditional music and cheers from spectators, creating a lively and captivating atmosphere.
- When: August 3 – 6
- Where: Central Akita, Akita
Yamagata Hanagasa Festival
The Yamagata Hanagasa Festival features large processions of dancers wearing colorful costumes and carrying hanagasa (flower-adorned hats). Participants dance to the rhythm of traditional music and chants of “Yassho, makasho!” while celebrating local culture and community spirit.
- When: August 5 – 7
- Where: Central Yamagata, Yamagata
Fukagawa Festival
The Fukagawa Festival, also known as the Fukagawa Hachiman Matsuri, is a major Shinto festival held at Tomioka Hachiman Shrine in Tokyo. The event features a lively procession of mikoshi (portable shrines) carried through the streets while participants splash water on the mikoshi and carriers to cool them down. The water-splashing has earned it the nickname “water festival.”
- When: Mid of August
- Where: Tomioka Hachiman Shrine, Tokyo
Awa Odori
Awa Odori is one of Japan’s most famous traditional dance festivals, held annually from August 12-15 in Tokushima. It features large groups of dancers, known as ren, performing lively, rhythmic dances in colorful costumes to the accompaniment of traditional instruments like shamisen, drums, and flutes. The dance style is energetic and vibrant, with a unique mix of graceful and exaggerated movements.
- When: August 12 – 15
- Where: Central Tokushima, Tokushima
Yamaga Toro(Lantern) Festival
The Yamaga Toro Festival is known for its beautiful display of women dressed in traditional yukata, dancing gracefully while balancing gold and silver lanterns (toro) on their heads. The highlight is the “Thousand Lantern Dance” performed at night, creating a magical and elegant atmosphere.
- When: August 15 – 16
- Where: Central Yamaga and Yamaga elementary school, Kumamoto
Gozan Okuribi(Daimonji)
Gozan Okuribi, also known as the Daimonji Festival, is a traditional event held on August 16 in Kyoto. It marks the end of the Obon festival, when the spirits of ancestors are believed to return to the afterlife. Large bonfires in the shape of kanji characters and other symbols are lit on five mountains surrounding Kyoto, with the most famous being the “Daimonji” character. These fires guide the spirits back to the spiritual realm and are a striking visual spectacle that draws many visitors.
- When: August 16
- Where: Kyoto
Yoshida no Himatsuri(Yoshida Fire Festival)
Yoshida no Himatsuri, or the Yoshida Fire Festival, is an annual event held on August 26-27 in Fujiyoshida City, at the base of Mount Fuji. It is considered one of Japan’s most significant fire festivals and is meant to calm the spirit of Mount Fuji and prevent volcanic eruptions. The festival features large torches and bonfires set along the streets, creating a dramatic and fiery atmosphere. It marks the end of the Mount Fuji climbing season and is a celebration of nature and protection.
- When: August 26, 27
- Where: In front of Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Shrine, Yamanashi
Asakusa Samba Carnival
The Asakusa Samba Carnival features vibrant parades with dancers in colorful costumes, samba music, and elaborately decorated floats. Participants, both local and international, compete in dance and performance competitions. The carnival brings a festive atmosphere to Asakusa, blending Brazilian and Japanese cultures and attracting large crowds of spectators.
- When: Late August
- Where: Asakusa, Tokyo
Owara Kaze no Bon
Owara Kaze no Bon features a graceful, melancholic dance performed by locals wearing yukata and straw hats, accompanied by traditional music played on shamisen, kokyū, and taiko drums. The festival is meant to pray for protection from strong winds and a good harvest. The atmosphere is serene and hauntingly beautiful, with dancers moving slowly through the town’s narrow, lantern-lit streets.
- When: September 1 – 3
- Where: Yatsuo, Toyama
Kakunodate Matsuri no Yamagyoji
The Kakunodate Matsuri no Yamagyoji features parades of elaborately decorated yama floats through the town’s historic samurai district. The festival is a celebration of local culture and serves as a prayer for good harvests and community prosperity. One of the highlights is the dramatic float clashes, where teams collide their floats in friendly competition.
- When: September 7 – 9
- Where: Central Kakunodate, Akita
Kishiwada Danjiri Festival
The Kishiwada Danjiri Festival features teams pulling large, intricately decorated wooden floats called danjiri through the streets at high speeds. The event is known for its daring and energetic atmosphere, as participants race and make sharp turns with the heavy floats, showcasing strength, teamwork, and skill. The festival, which dates back over 300 years, is celebrated as a way to pray for a good harvest and community prosperity.
- When: Mid of September
- Where: Central Kishiwada
Aizu Festival
The Aizu Festival celebrates the rich history and samurai heritage of the Aizu region Fukushima. The festival features a grand samurai procession where participants dressed in traditional armor and attire reenact historical events. It also includes parades, traditional performances, and ceremonies to honor the region’s leaders, particularly the Aizu clan.
- When: Late September
- Where: Central Aizuwakamatsu and Tsuruga Castle
Ohara Hadaka Festival
The Ohara Hadaka Festival, also known as the Ohara Naked Festival, is an annual event held in September in Ohara, Chiba. Participants, dressed in traditional loincloths, carry portable shrines (mikoshi) into the sea as part of a ritual to pray for a good harvest and abundant fish. The festival’s highlight is the energetic and competitive atmosphere as the participants brave the water, symbolizing purification and strength. The event reflects the region’s deep connection to fishing and local traditions.
- When: Late September
- Where: Isumi, Chiba