This is a horse race that takes place in Shiojiri City on the grassy Takabocchi Plateau. With around 80 competitors from throughout Japan, organizers claim that it is the highest altitude horse race to take place in Japan. Apart from […]
Summer is prime time for big festivals in Japan, and Kochi City is no exception. The highlight of the local year is a three-day dance/parade extravaganza in August, called ‘Yosakoi’. What the word means exactly is open to interpretation, but […]
Part of the annual peace festival, this display is as famous for its fireworks as it is for the beautiful food stalls that are illuminated at night. The event takes place on the Hozu river banks and has paid seats […]
Tokushima Awa Odori is rated by many as Japan’s top summer festival. It takes place in Tokushima – a prefecture on the island of Shikoku. The dance festival (Odori means dance) has its origins as a summer Obon festival. ‘Awa’ […]
The Minato Mirai Bon Odori Festival will once again be held in mid-August in Rinko Park, Yokohama. Looking out over the evening waters of Yokohama Bay, Rinko Park provides one of the most pleasant locations for one of Japan's most-loved […]
On August 12th, the Gochinza-kinensai Ceremony is held at Osaki Hachiman Shrine in Sendai. This mid-summer ceremony is truly a traditional ritual, on the next day, the shrine performs a Gagaku music concert as part of a memorial dedicated to […]
This is a joint fireworks festival across the Kanmon Straits between Shimonoseki City in Yamaguchi Prefecture and Kita-Kyushu City in Fukuoka Prefecture. More than 1 million people on both sides of the strait are expected to watch the almost 1-hour […]
The small city of Yanai in Yamaguchi Prefecture is famous for its lanterns, but they're a little different from many lanterns you've likely seen in the past. The lanterns here are shaped like goldfish, and you'll see them displayed outside […]
Summer sees the staging of the annual Toro Nagashi festival in Asakusa. Originally held to pray for the souls of the deceased, the practice was rekindled in the mid-20th century. Now a strong community event, the festival sees participants releasing […]
For 2022 (as with 2020 and 2021), the ceremony will take place, but sightseers are discouraged. The ceremony is intended for those who have lost relatives since the last O-Bon. The annual holiday of Obon runs until the night of […]
This is a memorial service for the spirits of fallen soldiers and to pray for peace which takes place on August 15th every year. A large 大 (the kanji symbol for great) is set alight on Mount Wakakusa using 108 […]
Taking place at the riverside in Nakagawahara Park in Hitoyoshi City, this fireworks festival would usually attract roughly 55,000 people to attend to ooh and ah at 5,000 pyrotechnics. Unlike a lot of other festivals which sell tickets for seats […]