The Nitoyo Coast stretches from the southern part of Oita Prefecture to the northern part of Miyazaki Prefecture, and it's famous for one thing in particular - rock oysters. The oysters in this part of the country are nourished by […]
The Gion Matsuri (Gion Festival) is a month-long festival that takes place in Kyoto in July each year. The name comes from the neighborhood of Gion, which is home to some of the more traditional parts of Kyoto—including the geisha […]
Each year during Japan's rainy season, Fukushima's Jupia Land Hirata is home to an impressive hydrangea festival which also coincides with a variety of colorful lilies in bloom. There are a number of paved walking paths through the grounds where […]
In the Tone River area, every summer in just a few towns acrobats performs a curious centuries-old ritual that is sure to astound locals and visitors alike. This is Tsukumai, a rite meant to invite rains to bless agriculture. Noda […]
Natsu Biraki Music Festival in Tokyo will be held at the Arena Tachikawa Tachihi in Tachikawa. Hugely popular, mid-July music event held over three days has grown immensely over the last decade. The festival features many of Japan's most engagingly […]
The landlocked Chinese province of Yunnan is situated in the country's southwest, and is known for its spectacular natural landscapes (think snow-capped mountains and terraced rice fields), UNESCO World Heritage Sites like the Old Town of Lijiang, and being regarded […]
The Uchiwa Matsuri, possibly the largest of Saitama's summer festivals, is held in Kumagaya, just north of Tokyo in Saitama Prefecture. With a history dating back to 1750, the three-day festival in July attracts over 750,000 revelers and is one […]
Although a small countryside town, Tsuwano has festivals with a few hundred years of history. The most important of them is the Heron Dance in July. Performing on the same date every year, it draws a big crowd of spectators. […]
Taking place in the picturesque Kiso township of Nagano Prefecture, the Mikoshi Matsuri is an annual event involving approximately 100 wooden mikoshi (portable, shoulder-borne shrines). The mikoshi, weighing up to 375 kilograms, are carried and flipped (!) end over end […]
The Himeji Yukata Festival is the oldest festival of its type in Japan, dating back more than 260 years. Yukata are the light and often very bright kimonos worn in Japan during the summer months. While yukata are a part […]
Tobata is a ward of the city of Kitakyushu in Fukuoka prefecture and this festival dates back over 200 years to when Tobata was a village. The Yamagasa are tall floats that are carried around. At night the floats are […]
The historic town of Hita in Oita prefecture is the venue for the Hita Gion Matsuri in late July. Gion festivals are held throughout Japan in July, but each brings a touch of local flavor with lavishly decorated floats and […]