Gaido Japan

Narita Gion Matsuri
2022-07-08 10:00 - 2022-07-10 17:00 (Asia/Tokyo) | Narita, Chiba, Narita, Chiba 286-0023, Chiba, 286-0023, Japan
For three days in July, for the last 300 years, the people of Narita and surrounding towns have gathered in the plaza in front of Shinshoji Temple in Narita to celebrate summer planting and ask for blessings from the Buddha Dainichi Nyorai. This festival is of course solemn in parts, but exuberant and boisterous day and night. The festival begins after midday on the first day with a blessing ceremony and a rally of the festival float bearers before they parade around the city. The festival floats are spectacular – exquisite woodwork, sumptuous draperies, and a company of musicians, bearers, and dancers in colorful costumes accompany each. The festival continues into the evenings, with lights on the floats and participants bearing lanterns. Each day has traditional dance and processions. Be careful not to get crushed by the floats in the steep and narrow streets of Narita, and make a way when you hear the chants and drums. If you need a breather, retreat to Naritasan Park where the fountains and ponds are tranquil and cool. During the festival street food is abundant. If you prefer a proper meal, don’t miss the local specialty, grilled eel served in many shops and best represented by Kawatoyo, a popular restaurant on the main road.

Hiratsuka Tanabata
2022-07-08 10:00 - 2022-07-10 20:00 | Hiratsuka Kanagawa, Hiratsuka JR Station Takarachō 1-1 Hiratsuka Kanagawa 254 - 0034, Kanagawa, 254 - 0034, Japan
This is a celebration of the Tanabata legend, which originated in China. There are several interpretations of the legend but this is how the story is commonly told in Japan: Orihime, the daughter of the Emperor of the Universe Tentei, was a talented weaver, but after years of working hard to please her father she realized that she had been so busy weaving that she hadn’t had time to meet a lover. After seeing how sad his daughter was, the Emperor arranged for her to marry Prince Hikoboshi from the other side of the great river, made by the Milky Way. Orihime and the prince fell deeply in love, but Orihime started to neglect her weaving. The Emperor became infuriated with his daughter and banished Hikoboshi back to the other side of the river, but after seeing how sad his daughter was without the prince by her side, he decided to let the couple meet once a year, on the night of July the 7th. This would be the night each year that they, the two stars, could meet. However, on the night of their first reunion, Orihime realized that she could not cross the river by herself. A flock of Magpies heard her cries and formed a bridge for her to cross. It is said that if there is rain on the night of 7th July, the magpies can’t help Orihime, so the lovers cannot meet for another year. Each July people hope for clear skies. Japanese people celebrate Tanabata by making offerings and writing their own wishes onto strips of colored paper, before tying them to bamboo branches. Traditionally these branches were sent down the river at the end of the festival period, but Tanabata has grown so much over the past few years that this tradition has been stopped in favor of cleaner water. Event Report I step out of the train station to the smell of grilled seafood skewers, takoyaki, and teriyaki batter baking with its sugary sweet bean filling. Sellers cling on to clusters of bobbing Hello Kitty and Anpan-man balloons, and the usually quiet streets are overflowing with festival-goers. Music blares from each of the street-facing bars, while in contrast, traditional Japanese singing floats down from the loudspeakers. Sellers call out to the passers-by with infectious energy and enthusiasm. From the busy street, I look up at the streamers of luminous yellow, pink, gold, and blue, filling the sky as they blow in the wind. The decorations hang from every streetlight, rooftop, and overhead line, each competing to be the biggest and most colorful on display. This year it is hot and the streets are full of people in high spirits after a long day spent eating and drinking in the sun. Families have gathered and are filling up on meat skewers and sugary treats. Children fish for prizes while each moment is caught on camera. Couples and friends have met to eat and drink, on the streets full of life, pausing to write their wishes, before adding them to the streams of other people’s hopes and dreams. I spoke to a local bar owner, Senri Miura, who also runs a website for the festival. “Many people here look forward to seeing the decoration of the festival each year, with their hero from sports or drama, traditional motifs like Samurai and Kabuki, and current events or political relations such as Hayabusa’s return. Local people look forward to the festival’s food and drink. I especially like the nighttime illuminations, which are so romantic and beautiful.” This tradition is the perfect excuse for an early summer celebration. It’s a time for people from miles around to set out in their summer yukata and take to the streets in high festival spirits. Hiratsuka Tanabata is a festival of fun, sentimentality, and optimism, all in eager anticipation of the approaching festival season.

Slug Festival
2022-07-09 | Nakatsugawa-shi, Gifu-ken, 683 Kashimo, Nakatsugawa-shi, Gifu-ken, Gifu, Gifu, 508-0421, Japan
Japan has great festivals ranging from fight festivals and firework festivals to ones celebrating fertility and scaring children into being good. In the little sleepy village of Kashimo in Nakatsugawa is one about slugs. Yes, slimy slugs. Though it is not a wildly famous festival nor does it garnish much attention except locals and within the prefecture, it has a story that captures the imagination. To me, it is just a great story. Between the Heian and Kamakura Periods, Kashimo’s northern district of Ogo, what locals call ojatta-mura, had a small garrison of soldiers with the duty of protecting the sacred forest and Japanese cypress used for building palaces, castles, temples and shrines from the surrounding daimyo of Takayama and Naegi. Moritoo Endo, a soldier stationed in Kashimo had fallen in love with his friend’s wife, Kesa-gozen. He approached her and began to win her affection. He wanted to have her for himself eventually convincing her to go to him. But to do that they would need to remove the husband, Moritoo’s friend. One day Kesa-gozen said, “come to my house at midnight of July 9th (old calendar). My husband will be sleeping alone so you can kill him. Then I can be with you.” Moritoo went to the house, snuck in, and cut off the head of his sleeping friend. But the next day, news came that someone had killed his friend’s wife! Kesa-gozen had tricked Moritoo and taken her husband’s futon. She had sacrificed herself to save her husband. To atone for his sin, Moritoo became a monk and later became the priest of high virtue known as Mongaku-shounin. After Moritoo died, a slug began appearing on the evening of July 9th; the day Kesa-gozen died. They say the slug is the reincarnation of Kesa-gozen. This was denoted by the black line on the back which is said to be the sword scar. Moritoo had served his apprenticeship, therefore, his sin was forgiven by Kesa-gozen. Zoom forward to the present; on the evening of the festival, the street is lined with torches and stalls selling festival fare. Taiko drums play and people are jovial. The current monk, a young man in his mid-thirties from the main temple now located in the center of the community, walks up to the tomb and the people bow in silence as a prayer is said. As he speaks, slugs led by one large slug wearing a long black mark on its back climb all over the tomb while people scramble to see this mystery of nature. I have attended this festival a dozen times. The sleepy little hamlet is transformed into a field of lanterns and all the people come out to commune. But most amazing is the slugs; no one collects them to spread, they just appear there every year on that day to be with the forbidden love.

Mitama Festival
2022-07-13 10:00 - 2022-07-16 17:00
The Yasukuni Shrine is notable for many things: its history, its purpose, and the intense political controversy surrounding it. For a few nights each summer, however, many people put aside their political stances and enjoy the wonderful Mitama Festival. “Mitama” is a respectful word that means “the soul of a dead person” in Japanese, and this “Soul Festival” honors just that. The Yasukuni Shrine is dedicated to honoring of the souls of those who gave their lives to defend Japan, and this festival is an early step towards the Japanese holiday season of Obon, during which Japanese people honor their deceased ancestors. The festival is held yearly from July 13 to July 16, which can be somewhat problematic when those dates fail to fall on a weekend. It began in 1947 and remains one of Tokyo’s biggest Obon celebrations. During the day, there are numerous performances on a stage set up in the shrine area, including dancers and taiko drumming. There are also many staples of Japanese festivals, such as a long line of food stands (which I think is a bit more comprehensive than at most other festivals), some carnival-style games for prizes, and even a haunted house. A team of dancers leads the audience in a simple dance around another circular stage. The best part of the festival comes alive at night, however, when the more than 30,000 yellow lanterns lining the main road of the shrine are lit up in spectacular fashion, creating a feeling as if you were walking in a dream. Teams carry portable Shinto shrines called mikoshi through the dense crowds, chanting and cheering. A marching band performs a stirring rendition of the Japanese national anthem. And, at the height of the excitement, two spotlights form a criss-cross through the large torii gate at the shrine’s entrance. There is a very unique feeling at this event that I have never experienced at other Japanese festivals – one of intense pride and respect for the people and country of Japan. It is simultaneously festive and meaningful. Though perhaps not the most exciting festival in terms of activities, the Mitama Festival has an atmosphere of something very uniquely Japanese that is a must-do for those who want an authentic experience.

Noda Tsukumai
2022-07-14 - 2022-07-31
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 City begins its summer festival season in the city center with this acrobat dance ritual. In the evening, participants assemble at Atago Shrine for a blessing and then proceed to the parking lot at Kikkoman headquarters. Here, a tall pole is prepared, and costumed acrobats climb the pole, perform a ritual of firing arrows, do some amazing moves, and slide down a rope from the pillar to conclude the rite. Long before the Tone and Edo Rivers were tamed, the courses were unpredictable and caused feast and famine. The performers wear distinctive costumes and frog masks on their heads said to harken back to a legend of a giant frog who swallowed flood waters and gushed water in droughts. This spectacular rite remembers those times and the legendary creature.

Natsu Biraki Music Festival, Tokyo
2022-07-15 - 2022-07-24
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 independent artists and is based on the idea that suburban locations can be attractive to everyone. Parents with children are very much catered for with nursing and changing rooms available as well play areas and activities like yoga and painting for the whole family. Making it easier on parents, the organisers have wisely made it free for children under 12 years of age. With single and multiple day passes available, please check the official website for pricing details.

The Kokura Gion Festival
2022-07-15 15:30 - 2022-07-17 20:00
The Kokura Gion festival is a frenzy of mid-summer community drumming in northern Kyushu and is held annually over three days from the third Friday through Sunday of July. Kokura Gion Festival Report In the middle of July, I took the night ferry from Matsuyama to Kokura, a district in the city of Kitakyushu. When I planned my trip, I wasn’t aware that I’d be landing a slap bang in the middle of a major taiko drum festival. In fact, it wasn’t until the afternoon that I became aware of this. I’d spent a very pleasant morning in Mojiko and was making my way back into Kokura when I came upon some men in a car park wearing festival clothes. They were standing around a decorated wagon with drums on it. This was the first hint that something was afoot. Since the men looked fairly exhausted, I asked one of them if they were packing up after a festival. No, he assured me, they were getting ready for the last night. Shortly after, I became aware of a general throbbing of drums from the direction of Kokura Castle where I was heading. As I was eating a late lunch of ramen, what should pass by the window but a marching band of the brave armed forces of Japan, led by a troupe of pretty girls in yukata. The band was great. They were playing Japanese pop hits with a swaggering marching tempo. I dashed out of the ramen shop to follow them just as they broke into a traditional English number that I recognized. The band headed on towards Kokura castle which sits in a large, grassy park. There, laid out around the perimeter and along each path were row upon row of stalls selling tasty snack food and children’s toys that break after 24 hours. Everywhere there were festival juggernauts with drums on them, being pulled this way and that. There were some within the castle walls too, sitting in front of the shrine. The shrine itself was packed with people who were watching a traditional drama with heroes clad in bright kimonos and ferocious masks, sword-fighting in slow motion to the sound of drum and flute. I took a seat near one of the industrial-strength fans that were set up to cool the audience and watched until the end of the show. I had time to enter the castle and enjoy the spectacle of the festival from high above. As evening fell, groups of drummers assembled, setting up a couple of taiko drums on simple stands. Each group, men, women, and children, represented a single city community. They were dressed in identical leggings, jikatabi, and a happi coat with the local crest. They all began drumming, with the rhythm set by someone playing tiny, piercing cymbals. As the evening wears on, something of a frenzy takes hold, and the drummers take turns on each side of the drum, switching places with a flourish. The sound is hypnotic, not because the drumming is monotonous but because there are so many variations – the people of Kokura collectively have a huge repertoire of rhythms. Forgive me if I was a bit lyrical here, but I found it moving to witness community solidarity in the form of mass cultural participation and creation. There was also a group of foreigners from all over the world putting on a very creditable performance. The atmosphere was nothing if not inclusive. The drumming continued after dark. As I wandered the streets I came across a small urban park where one of the groups was sitting quietly under a tree in the dark drinking beer, with their drum wagon parked on the street. It seemed a perfect expression of the local community.

Ekin Festival: Spooky Paintings by Candlelight
2022-07-16 19:00 - 2022-07-17 21:00
Walking the narrow streets of small town Akaoka at night with nothing illuminating the way but candlelight and paper lanterns strung up above, one instantly notices this is not your typical festival. Feeling a little more like Halloween, Ekin Festival is a trip into the frightening scenes of famous kabuki plays as depicted by one local artist. Hirose Kinzou, better known as Ekin in Kochi, lived from 1812 to 1876 and is famous for his shibai-e byoubu, or theatrical images on folding screens. To protect the sensitive condition these paintings are in, all of the street lights (even those of the vending machines) are not allowed during this two day festival that happens every 3rd weekend of July. Rather, each painting is folded out in front of stores on the street, lighted by a single candlestick. Personally, given the nature of these scary images, this seems like the only proper way to view them. Plus, it just makes for a great, fun festival. After wandering through the streets and taking in all the spookiness, you will find a central square where the typical Japanese festival yatai, food booths, are set up in plenty. This area is well lit by high beam super lights of the 21st century, and there’s a stage with some kind of entertainment constantly going on in the background. The food here is very good, so eat, have a beer, and relax for a bit (if you’re lucky enough to find a table!). The streets of the festival wrap around in front of Bentenza, a lovely little kabuki theater. Appropriately, they usually have plays running at at 5p.m. both Saturday and Sunday—they’re even free. The theater is beautiful, so I really recommend trying to get there for this. Even if you can’t see a play, go in and have a look around at this local theater. Ekin Festival is one of my favorite festivals because of its novelty. Akaoka is kind of known for its novel festivals, come to think of it. But that is for another post. You can get to Akaoka by driving east of Kochi City on road number 55, or take the JR train from Kochi Station to Akaoka directly. I hope you can manage to go to this festival while you’re in Kochi. It is so much fun and the mood and atmosphere is almost that of another time. Go enjoy the scary pictures, the yukata wearing onlookers, and the excited children as they run through the crowds of people playing in ‘the dark’.

Yunnan Festival in Tokyo
2022-07-20 11:00 - 2022-07-28 17:00
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 as the birthplace of tea. A festival taking place in Tokyo is set to celebrate the culture of this region, and it’s free for visitors to enjoy. The Yunnan Festival in Tokyo is a multi-day event, and it includes the chance for visitors to dress in traditional attire from different ethnic groups in the province (Yunnan has one of the highest levels of ethnic diversity in all of China), sample various flavors of Pu’er tea, watch dance performances, and plenty more.

Kumagaya Uchiwa Matsuri
2022-07-20 13:00 - 2022-07-22 21:00
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 of the region’s most popular summer events. The festival name was coined in the early 1900s as part of a gimmick whereby local vendors would hand out uchiwa fans in order to attract more customers. These traditional hand-held fans are still used throughout Japan to ward off the summer heat. With Kumagaya summers being memorably warm, this arrangement worked out well for everyone.
Along with the street stalls, mikoshi portable shrines, and Japanese drumming, what sets the Uchiwa Matsuri apart is the energy of its 12 massive parade floats. The floats’ extravagance stemmed from the festival coinciding with a boom in the silk industry in days past. Flaunting their wealth, merchants would compete with each to develop and show off the most flamboyant and opulent floats. The result is what you see today. Different events during the festival are held on different days so please see the official website for details.

Heron Dance
2022-07-20 22:00 - 2022-07-27 17:00
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. As the most important ceremony of the year, the townsfolk come out of their homes, some shops close for the time of the dance, and even the school closes during the early afternoon (if the festival is on a weekday). While it would be easy to move the festival’s date to a weekend, the locals take pride in preserving the ceremony as it was, thus sticking to the old dates of 17 and 20 July. (7 and 14 in the old lunar calendar). Watching the ceremony, the shining white feathers of the heron costume exude pureness and cleanness. The crowd is silent during the dance; one’s ears are concentrating on the chanting, the music, and the clicking of cameras. There is also a charming children’s performance, which preserves the traditional parts of the dance. There are a lot of spectators despite the hot weather in July, and one has to be careful not to get a heatstroke. History The Heron Dance originated from Kyoto’s Gion Festival and was introduced to Yamaguchi’s Ouchi clan first, and then to Tsuwano in 1542 by the Yoshimi clan. While the ceremony was discontinued in Kyoto and Yamaguchi, the people of Tsuwano kept it alive for the past 470 years. The only time Sagi-mai was not performed, was when the Sakazaki clan wanted to erase the previous domain ruler, Yoshimi clan’s, customs. The Sakazaki clan was in power for a short time from 1601 to 1616, and the following Kamei clan reintroduced the dance in 1643. Kosugi-mai, or young heron dance, started some 60 years ago, to let children experience local traditions from an early age. Elementary school students dress up in a cute version of the heron costume and perform a modified dance. There is a male heron with the beak open, and a female heron with the beak closed, indicating that the dance is mating. The herons are believed to protect from illnesses and diseases. There are also two men in red wigs carrying long staffs in their hands, fending off demons and ghosts.
Kosugi: Elementary school students dress up and dance a cuter version of the Heron dance
The rest of the procession comprises musicians and two dancing figures of yet unknown roles. The wings are made of wood, and their clicking sound is incorporated into the music as an instrument. This makes it heavy, about 12-15kg for the feathers and another 3kg for the bamboo headpiece. The Festival The festival starts around 15:00 at the Yasaka Shrine, where the deity lives. On 20 July, the ceremonial dance is performed at 10 locations in the town, starting from the shrine, going to the place where the palace was standing (now Tsuwano High school), and onward to the former merchant town. The final destination is the Otabisho, the temporary resting place of the deity. One week later on the 27th, the deity returns to the shrine taking the same route backward. Recently, the first dance is performed in front of the community hall in the Old Town part of Tsuwano, where the preparations begin. The Young Heron dance starts earlier, around 13:00, and goes around the same route as the Heron dance.

Kiso Mikoshi Makuri Festival
2022-07-22 | Suimu Shrine, Suimu Shrine
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 by groups of men.
The climax of the festival is in the evening of the 23rd, but if you’re there on the evening of the 22nd, you can enjoy a fireworks display.

Himeji Yukata Festival
2022-07-22 - 2022-07-24
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 of most summer festivals, it’s the main point of this one so people make an extra effort with their yukata. Reportedly, 70% of festival-goers come kitted out in their yukata.
The evening festival (it runs from 4:30 pm until 9:30 pm) features around 700 food and drink stalls along with entertainment. If you get in on the yukata action yourself, you’re entitled to some discounts. In particular, entry to the zoo, museum, and Himeji Castle is free.

Tobata Gion Yamagasa Festival
2022-07-22 - 2022-07-24
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 adorned with lanterns, making them an impressive sight.
The festival has been recognized by the Japanese government as an important intangible cultural asset.

Hita Gion Festival
2022-07-23 | Yasan Shrine, Yasan Shrine
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 traditional music.
The Hita Gion is touted as one of the “top 3 Gion festivals in Kyushu”. How these rankings are made is a bit of a mystery, but if you’re in the area in late July it’s worth a look.

Kihoku Lantern Festival 2022
2022-07-23
The Kihoku Lantern Festival takes place in the port town of Nagashima in Kihoku, Mie Prefecture. Each year a large, elaborate cloth lantern is set afloat on the harbor in the afternoon. After nightfall, there is a spectacular fireworks display known as the Saiun Kujaku (Rainbow Peacock) as a backdrop to the floating lantern. From 3 pm until the fireworks begin at 8 pm there are performances and other entertainment on a stage.

Akeno Sunflower Festival
2022-07-23 08:00 - 2022-08-21 17:00
Bright and cheerful sunflowers are a quintessential sign of summer in Japan, and the annual Akeno Sunflower Festival boasts fields upon fields of them to enjoy. The event began in 1993, and at the venue, you’ll also find a sunflower maze and the ability to purchase locally made products. From sunset until 9 pm the fields will be lit up, giving visitors the chance to enjoy the flowers illuminated under the night sky. Admission to the Akeno Sunflower Festival is free.

Tsushima Tenno Matsuri
2022-07-23 08:30 - 2022-07-24 21:00
Every steaming hot summer evening for over 500 years, the people of Tsushima in Aichi Prefecture go down to the Tenno river. It’s not that the riverside is cooler on the evening of the fourth Saturday of July, but that’s when one of the three major river festivals in Japan, the nationally famous Tsushima Tenno Festival takes place. The Tenno Festival was said to have been a favorite of local war-lord Oda Nobunaga, and today has been designated a Nationally Intangible Folk Cultural Asset. Tsushima is a small city of around 66,000 people, just west of Nagoya City. Apart from the Tenno Festival, Tsushimas’ Autumn Festival, and Wisteria Festivals which also share a long history and traditions, Tsushima’s other claim to fame is the little-known fact that there are more temples in Tsushima than there are in Kyoto! However, it’s that fourth Saturday evening in July, the night of the “Yoimatsuri”, the Night Festival, and the celebrations that continue the next day with the “Asamatsuri”, or Morning Festival that has everyone Tsushima bound. The festival begins after sunset on a Saturday night. Various displays of matchlock gun firing and a kind of handheld fireworks resembling an upright bazooka get the festival goers in the mood. Singing and dancing also take place before the highlight of this particular festival takes to the water. Five large and graceful Makiwara boats, consisting of two boats strapped together with purified straw ropes and decorated with over 400 large paper lanterns each, arranged in a dome-like flying saucer shape, but supposed to represent a mountain, glide along the river, to the accompaniment of Tsushima flute players on board. The reflections of the hundreds of lanterns in the dark, calm waters add to the ethereal effect. The five boats represent the former five villages that made up Tsushima. The dome-shaped arrangement of 365 lanterns, one for each of the days in the year, features a further 12 or 13 lanterns in an antennae-like fashion above it. Under the orange-yellow dome of lanterns are 30 red lanterns. More lanterns decorate the bow of this floating festival float. Most folks dressed in light summer kimono called Yukata watch from the riverside, others take to small boats to enjoy a meal, drinks, and entertainment. All the while, cameras click as the lantern-laden boats sail by, and fantastic fireworks roar like thunder in the sky above. The next morning, the same five Makiwara boats are redecorated with gorgeous red, black, and gold hand-woven tapestries and Karakuri Ningyo mechanical dolls dressed in Noh costumes. These boats are joined by a sixth, the “Ichieguruma” from neighboring Higashiho-Cho. This boat too is decorated with dolls representing characters from Japan’s traditional Noh performing arts. Also on board are ten men, armed with cloth-covered halberds and specially chosen to take part in the ritual, where they dive off the boat with the halberd, before swimming, or walking to shore before presenting the broad-bladed pole-arm to the Tsushima Shrine. The rest of the day is filled with various displays, events, and festivities. If you find yourself in Japan in late July, make sure you visit Tsushima for both days of one of Japan’s biggest and most spectacular festivals, the Tsushima Tenno Matsuri. It’s an awe-inspiring sight on a hot summer’s night!

Tokyo Hula Festival
2022-07-23 18:00 - 2022-07-24 20:00
It’s summertime and Ikebukuro is gripped by Hawaiian fever. The annual Hula Festival is hard to miss as the colors and sounds of the Pacific sweep the northwestern part of Tokyo. Up to 3,900 dancers show off their skills on stage, where the gentle sounds of Hawaiian music are playing to the elegant routines of the dancers. First held in 2002, the festival celebrates the friendship between Ikebukuro and Hawaii, where 13% of its residents are Japanese Americans. The festival is usually held on the 3rd weekend of July, so take your seats and be transported to the Pacific Islands.

Odaiba Lantern Festival
2022-07-23 18:30 - 22:00
Marine Day or Umi no hi (literally ‘day of the sea’), is celebrated every third Monday of July. While there aren’t any traditional ceremonies (being a newer national holiday), many people choose to visit the beach on this day. Parks and aquariums also hold events and festivals to celebrate the importance of the ocean. Odaiba’s Marine Park located right behind DECKS Tokyo Beach and Aqua City (near Daiba Station or Odaiba-Kaihin-Koen Station on the Yurikamome Line), holds an annual Lantern Festival, where thousands of colored lanterns are lit along the beach, thoughtfully placed to reveal an image when seen from a vantage point. Although the highlight of the festival is the lanterns lit by volunteers, there are many activities and things to do while waiting for the sun to set. Local musicians and singers perform by the beachside café, where you can sit and enjoy the scenery: cruising ferries, the Rainbow Bridge, and skyscrapers surrounding the bridge. If you’re a fan of seafood or feeling adventurous, you may also choose to try the oysters that are freshly grilled by vendors on the street. Whether you are there to enjoy the music, witness the hundreds of lanterns flickering in the night, or even just for an evening stroll, the Lantern Festival at Odaiba is definitely an event you don’t want to miss. More photos of the Odaiba Lantern Festival

Umi no Hi (Ocean Day) at Odaiba
Odaiba is set in a wonderful light using paper lanterns, which are lit up by citizen volunteers every year on the third Monday

Tenjin Festival
2022-07-24 - 2022-07-25
This year, Osaka’s Tenjin Festival will only include the mikoshi procession, which will happen on the 25th, as well as various shrine rituals. The festival’s evening components, including the lighting of fires on the boats and the firework displays, are not going ahead. Moreover, should Osaka be placed under a state of emergency or quasi-state of emergency, there may be no parade at all.
Although this is held throughout Japan, the festival that takes place around Osaka Tenmangu shrine is the most famous. Touted as one of Japan’s Top 3 festivals, the Tenjin Matsuri has a history of over 1,000 years.
There are two main parts to the festival, one on land and the other on the water. On dry land, there is a procession of 3,000 people dressed in the style of courtiers of the 8th to 12th centuries accompanied by mikoshi (portable shoulder-borne shrines). The water part of the festival takes place when the same 3,000 participants board boats at Tenmanbashi bridge and sail up the river.
As the sun sets, fires are lit on board the vessels, creating a spectacle for those on the banks. Although they’re lit just for effect now, originally, they were lit for night patrols or fishing.
As the darkness descends, there is also a fireworks display.

Daigaku Festival at Ikune Shrine
2022-07-24 01:00 - 2022-07-25 20:00
The Daigaku festival takes place in late July every year at the Ikune Shrine in Osaka. Like other matsuri, it’s a lively community event with street food stalls and children’s games accompanying the traditional elements. The eponymous daigaku is an impressive array of 79 lanterns, originally constructed in celebration of a successful prayer for rain. Ikune is the only shrine in Osaka where a daigaku can be seen, as the others burned down during a battle. Singing, dancing, and a great display of traditional drumming are the main show here, but a wander around the local streets is also a necessity – the street food is delicious and the atmosphere is infectiously upbeat. It’s worth noting that there are two Ikune shrines within a walk of each other, the Daigaku Festival is at the north-westerly of the two.

Tenjin Matsuri
2022-07-24 04:00 - 2022-07-25 23:00
Tenjin Matsuri (天神祭) is one of the most symbolic water and light festivals in Osaka also ranked as one of the three greatest festivals in Japan, held annually on the 24th–25th of July. Tenjin is the ‘god of the sky’ and Matsuri is a festival in Japanese. The other festivals are the Gion Matsuri in Kyoto and Kanda Matsuri in Tokyo. Osaka, also known as the City of Water and Light, hosts this festival that dates back more than a thousand years ago. This festival started in year 951 to commemorate the deification of the great scholar, Sugawara no Michizane, enshrined now as the God of Learning. Come and you will get a first-hand experience of how the Japanese celebrate their summer. Tenjin Matsuri is the amalgamation of a boat festival, a fireworks display of over 3000 shots, and parades of Omikoshi-portable shrines. And of course, a lot of energy from the crowd clad in colorful yukata (summer kimono) and geta (wooden slippers) to be a part of this annual summer event. Start your exciting journey into the festival from the Tenmangu shrine. For early birds, on the 24th of July, the Yomiya-sai(Pre-evening festival) starts as early as 7:45 am with rituals and prayers for the success of the festival. There is a Taiko-Japanese drum performance accompanied by a Danjiri (Omikoshi carrier) dancer and dragon dance to signify the start of this festival. Do not miss the golden Omikoshis on display in Tenmangu shrine used in the festival. By 11 am in the Tenmangu shrine you can see the people dressed in costumes getting ready for the possession of the Omikoshis. One of the famous stops that you won’t want to miss is the possession on Midosuji street all the way to Tenjinbashi bridge. Sound and music are of course a big part of any festival, for Tenjin Matsuri, you can see people young and old, sweating profusely in the summer heat, chanting loudly, playing traditional music while 20-30 Danjiris shout to the rhythm of the music while carrying the sacred Omikoshis that weights up to hundreds of kilos. At 6 pm, the Boat Possessions starts on Okawa River. Try to spot the possession with a Kabuki actor, or the boat with the Japanese puppets while enjoying your walk along the stalls by the river. On 25th July, known as the Honmiya – the actual festival day, the three main events are the Land Possessions, Boat/ Water Possessions, and the Fireworks at night. The highlight is the Hanabi firework that starts around 7:30 pm with a much bigger crowd. In Japan, a summer festival is not complete with Hanabi, this must-see event displays 3000 shots of awesome fireworks. The firework is indeed a great end to a grand festival. The people, the energy, the sound, and the color of Tenjin festival are indeed an experience a Japanese traveler wouldn’t want to miss.

Live Earth Matsuyama
2022-07-24 10:00 - 17:00
The middle of May in Matsuyama is an uncertain time, weather-wise. It might be burning hot. It might rain. It might be cold and overcast. Or it might be all of these on the same day. You can expect any during Live Earth Matsuyama. As the name suggests, the festival is about live music with an earth-loving theme. The event runs from 10 in the morning to 5 in the evening. This small local festival was born in 2007 and it has come a long way. Literally in fact. It used to be held in the car park of the gymnasium above the Fuwari Road Station. Report from 2012 At around noon I made my way up the hill by bicycle towards the venue. It’s a long steep climb and I passed a number of people trudging up on foot. I didn’t envy them. As the car park came into view, I could hear a pleasant throbbing hum coming from the hilltop. This was the music of Dewachen, a combo that features sitar, didgeridoo, throat singing, chanting, and hand percussion. Having handed over my 1,500 yen ticket, I bumped into an English friend who greeted me cheerfully; “We’re living the dream. This drone is driving me nuts”. I plonked myself down on a tarp and was introduced to my friends for the afternoon. Someone went to the beer stall to get a round of Asahi Super Dry in plastic cups that had to be bought separately and reused, to emphasize the importance of resources. The cold, leaden sky gave way to scorching sunshine. Someone had given me a blanket to keep my legs warm, and I wondered about transferring it to my head for shade. The venue was filled with rows of stalls selling a very tempting array of food with a generally “ethnic” theme, clothing, accessories, and outdoor gear. Other stalls offered massages, aromatherapy, and barefoot art for children. Between the lectures, the music went on with some fairly major Japanese acts including Ua, who sang her interesting but undanceable freeform jazz, and Ikue Asazaki who sings in the Okinawan style. The sun went in again and it got really cold. Then the reggae/ska group Little Tempo took the stage, and at last, some danceable music poured forth. Those with a taste for it shook their booty hard, waving empty reusable plastic cups. The Japanese rapper Rankin’ Taxi, topped off with a jaunty gold crown, joined Little Tempo and entertained the crowd with his scurrilous lyrics and banter. Woodstock this is not. Nor is it Fuji Rock. But for a pleasant day out with food, music, and an impromptu community, it can’t be beaten.

The Kagurazaka Matsuri
2022-07-25 19:00 - 2022-07-28 21:00
In late July, the Tokyo suburb of Kagurazaka will host the annual Kagurazaka Matsuri. Famous for Kagurazaka Dori, the area’s chic and pedestrian-friendly street slope, the suburb is also known for the historical Akagi Shrine, Edo period geisha houses, and French schools. Held over four days, the first two days of the festival center around the Houzuki Market. Houzuki is ground cherries used during the Obon festival in summer and was once thought to prevent chronic illness. The final two days feature the Awa Odori Festival with crowds of evening dancers performing traditional Japanese dances that originated from far-off Tokushima Prefecture. Kagurazaka features a lively local eatery scene and along with the four days of festival street food stalls, the area will be full of happy revelers enjoying a traditional Japanese summer party atmosphere.

Haneda Matsuri
2022-07-28 09:00 - 2022-08-29 18:00
The annual Haneda Matsuri, or Haneda Festival, is held on the last week of July every year. At this lively traditional summer festival, the mikoshi, or the portable shrine, is carried by 3,000 people, with more than 30,000 visitors attending. As Haneda used to be a fishermen’s town, the mikoshi is carried in a unique way, called the Yokota, which represents a boat swaying on the ocean. This article originally appeared on the Ota-City.com website and is republished with permission.

Yubari Fantastic Film Festival
2022-07-28 18:00 - 2022-08-01 19:00
Many people in Tokyo have no idea how different Hokkaido is. It is almost 200 km from Sapporo to Obihiro, the same distance as between Shizuoka and Tokyo. But instead of 20 million people and the world’s 15th biggest GDP (Tokyo’s GDP is equal to that of South Korea), there are only 5 million people in the whole of Hokkaido. Tokyo became the biggest metropolis in the world just after the Meiji Period, and Osaka was even bigger than Tokyo in the 1920s. On the other hand, parts of rural Hokkaido in winter snow look more like Siberia than Tokyo. In fact, during the ice age, Hokkaido was connected with Siberia. Halfway between Obihiro and Sapporo is Yubari, a city of 10,000 that used to be the home to 100,000 people. The trains only call at Yubari station five times a day, unlike in Tokyo where there could be five trains at the station every minute. Yet Yubari has a faded charm that can’t be found in Tokyo. Faded posters and architecture, lost in time while Sika deer wander the streets. In the midst of the snow season, people from around the world celebrate this city’s past and future at the Yubari Fantastic Film Festival. The name evokes images of circuses and fun fairs, as if Laurel and Hardy appeared in candy stripe costumes, hollering, “roll up, roll up, the greatest show on earth is here!” Actually, the feature film this year, “The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir’ is in many ways the embodiment of the Yubari, whose hero rises from obscurity to worldwide fame through a fantasy-like adventure.

Lantern Festival at Chidorigafuchi
2022-07-29 19:00 - 2022-07-30 20:00
There is a myriad of great summer festivals to enjoy in Tokyo, and one of the prettiest has to be the Chidorigafuchi Moat Lantern Festival. With a history dating back to 1958, the event sees around 2000 gentle lantern lights decorate the water’s surface, and there are several ways for visitors to take part.
Photo: Chiyoda Ward Tourism Association
The most budget-friendly option is simply enjoying a stroll around the moat and appreciating the lanterns from a distance, which won’t cost you a single yen. Alternatively, you can write your own wishes or prayers on a lantern to be released on the water (¥ 1000 per lantern).
Photo: Chiyoda Ward Tourism Association
There’s also the opportunity for a select number of people to enjoy the lanterns from a unique vantage point–by rowboat on the moat. The selection process for this is done via a lottery system and is limited to 80 groups per day and a maximum of three people per group. The lottery applications will go live on the official website from June 20th – don’t fret if you get a 404 Page Not Found before that date!
Photo: Chiyoda Ward Tourism Association

Sumiyoshi Matsuri
2022-07-30 - 2022-08-01 | Sumiyoshi Taisha, Sumiyoshi Taisha, Osaka, Japan
The Sumiyoshi Matsuri (festival) happens over three days in and around Osaka’s Sumiyoshi Taisha shrine.
The highlight is the nagoshi harai shinji ritual which happens on a middle day. The ritual involves participants (women and children) processioning through a straw rope ring wearing Muromachi period costumes.
The parade of mikoshi (portable shrines) takes place on the last day of the festival. The mikoshi leaves Sumiyoshi and proceed to Shukuin Tongu shrine in neighboring Sakai City.

Kuroishi Neputa Festival
2022-07-30 - 2022-08-05
Kuroishi, a town on the central Tsugaru Plain of Aomori Prefecture holds its own Nebuta festival (called Neputa in these parts) on July 30th and August 5th each year.
The parade features more than 50 floats, most in the shape popular in the neighboring Hirosaki Neputa with a small number of free-form Aomori Nebuta-style floats also taking part. The floats gather together on the 30th and the 2nd, so these are the best days to visit. On other days they move around the town and ceremonies are held.
Even though the festival is smaller than the Hirosaki and Aomori City processions, there is a history of Neputa in the area from the Edo period with the official city event beginning in 1955.
