Festivals in Japan

Sapporo Yuki Matsuri(Sapporo Snow Festival)

Hokkaidoo, Sapporo(Sapporo city in Hokkaidoo)

2-gatsu joojun(early in February)

The Sapporo Snow Festival, one of Japan's largest winter events, attracts a growing number of visitors from Japan and abroad every year. Every winter, about two million people come to Sapporo to see the hundreds of beautiful snow statues ...

Aomori Nebuta Matsuri(Aomori Nebuta Festival)

Aomori-ken, Aomori-shi(Aomori city in Aomori prefecture)

8-gatsu joojun(early in August)

There are many theories about the origin of the Nebuta Festival. One is that it originated with the subjugation of rebels in the Aomori district by "General TAMURAMARO" in the early 800's. He had his army create large creatures, called "Nebuta", to frighten the enemy....

Akita Kantoo Matsuri(Akita Kanto Festival)

Akita-ken, Akita-shi(Akita cuty in Akita prefecture)

8-gatsu joojun(early in August)

For a moment everything stands still and then, with the signal of echoing sound of the bamboo flutes 230 Kanto poles are risen at the same time.
The Festival has begun. In the swirl of cheering shouts, musical accompaniment, spectators' shouts of admiration...

Sendai Tanabata Matsuri(Sendai Star Festival)

Miyagi-ken, Sendai-shi(Sendai city in Miyagi prefecture)

8-gatsu joojun(early in August)

Tanabata festivals are held throughout the country in Japan. The one held in Sendai is especially famous ...

Hanagasa Matsuri(Flower Hat Dance Festival)

Yamagata-ken, Yamagata-shi(Yamagata city in Yamagata prefecture)

8-gatsu joojun(early in August)

Every evening over the three day span about 3,000 dancers gather to parade down Yamagata's main street. Dancers hold hats decorated with artificial safflowers, the official prefectural flower ...

Sooma Nomaoi(Samuirai Festival in Soma)

Fukushima-ken, Sooma-shi(Soma city in Fukushima prefecture)

7-gatsu gejun(late in July)

Traditional Samurai festival with over 1,000 years of history

Akita Namahage(Namahage Festival)

Akita-ken, Oga hantoo(Oga peninsula in Akita prefecture)

12-gatsu 31-nichi(31th. of December)

A unique event observed from ancient times in the Oga area in Akita...

Chichibu Yomatsuri(Chichibu nocturnal fete)

Saitama-ken, Chichibu-shi(Chichibu city in Saitama prefecture)

12-gatsu futsuka, mikka(2nd,, 3rd. in December)

Of a large ornamental parasol for a festival, the stand which is gorgeous as for the annual festival of Chichibu Shinto shrine known as "Chichibu nocturnal fete ...

Sanja Matsuri(Sanja Festival)

Tokyo, Asakusa(Asakusa in Tokyo)

5-gatsu chuujun(middle of May)

Sanja Matsuri, which is one of the Three Great Festivals of EDO (now Tokyo), is held on the third Saturday and Sunday every May at Asakusa Shirne (previously called "SANJA Daigongen Shrine" ). Although the festival seems to date from older times ....

Kanda Matsuri(Kanda Festival)

Tokyo, Kanda(kanda in Tokyo)

5-gatsu joojun(early in May)

Kanda Matsuri is one of most famous festival in Tokyo. It is one of the three biggest festival in Japan. This festival was permitted to enter the Edo Castle (the Imperal Palace) ...

Oeshiki(Oeshiki)

Tokyo, Toshima-ku, Zooshigaya(Zoshigaya, Toshima-ku in Tokyo)

10-gatsu chuujun(middle of October)

Oeshiki is the mass for the dead event of the Buddhistic Nichiren sect. Even a youth and an old man participate exceeding a generation from a child. That is because there is a thing which makes it rouse people's mind and it is connected with soul.

Yabusame(horseback archery)

Kanagawa-ken, Kamakura-shi(Kamakura city in Kanagawa prefecture)

4-gatsu to 9-gatsu(April and September)

Yabusame is Japanese horseback archery of Samurai. Although Yabusame are held in several place in Japan, Tsuruoka Hachiman shrine in Kamakura is famous ..

Hamaorisai(Hamaorisai)

Kanagawa-ken, Chigasaki-shi(Chigasaki city in Kanagawa prefecture)

7-gatsu chuujun(middle of July)

Over 40 portable shrines get together at Chigasaki beach and go into water ...

Kitsune no Yomatsuri(Fox Night Festival)

Niigata-ken, Kashiwagaki-shi(Kashiwazaki city in Niigata prefecture)

10-gatsu chuujun(middle of October)

The fox masks that float in the moonless night make this a magical festival.

Muko Nage(Toss up newly-married men Festival)

Niigata-ken, Tookamachi-shi(Tokamachi city in Niigata prefecture)

1-gatsu 15-nichi(15th. of January)

The village’s recently married young men get tossed 3-5 meters off a cliff into a snow bank. Afterwards, the men paint their heads in charcoal made by burning sacred earth together with snow ...

Owara Kaze no Bon(Bon dance Festival)

Tomaya-ken, Toyame-shi(Toyama city in Toyama prefecture)

9-gatsu tsuitachi kara mikka(1st. to 3rd. in September)

Owara Kaze no Bon is a nationally known festival which has been held for about three hundred years.... the folkdance has been handed down for a long time and is accompanied by the melody of the "Ecchu Owarabushi." ...

Onbashira(Onbashira Festival)

Nagano-ken, Suwa-shi(Suwa city in Nagano prefecture)

6-nen ni ichido 4-gastu to 5-gatsu (April and May, every 6-years)

Onbashira is considered one of Japan's three most unique festivals. During Onbashira,four huge logs,the largest measuring 16m long, 1m wide,and weighing 10 tons, are cut in the mountains and brought by hand to the Shrine ...

Yoshida no Himatsuri(Fire Festival)

Yamanashi-ken, FujiYoshida-shi(FujiYoshida city in Yamanashi prefecture)

8-gatsu 26-nichi(26th. of August)

Yoshida no Himatsuri is held every year on August 26th to appease the goddess of Mt. Fiji and to keep the volcano from erupting ...

Shimoda Taiko matsuri(Taiko Drum Festival)

Shizuoka-ken, Shimoda-shi(Shimoda city in Shizuoka prefecture)

8-gatsu chuujun(middle of August)

Taiko is a traditional Japanese drum. Taiko and Shamisen (Japanese guitar) band teams go through the street in town ...

Takayama Matsuri(Takayama Festival)

Gifu-ken, Takayama-shi(Takayama city in Gifu prefecture)

4-gatsu to 10-gatsu chuujun(middel of April and October)

The floats with traditional Japanese mechanical dolls parade in town ...