Asakusa Toro Nagashi
2022-08-13 18:30 - 20:00 (Asia/Tokyo)
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 of hundreds of paper lanterns from Shinsui Terrace near Azaumabashi Bridge in Sumida Park. The lit lanterns that glide gently along the currents of the Sumida River create a memorably beautiful occasion. With a much more congenial feeling than the high-energy celebrations of the more common fireworks shows held during summer, the Toro Nagashi festival is a more personal experience, particularly if you send off your own lantern. The Toro Nagashi festival is still held in the event of light rain. While the event itself is free, to send off your own lantern for 1500 JPY. Please check the official website for more information.

Shoro Nagashi Lantern Floating Ceremony
2022-08-15
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 Shoro Nagashi. During this time, the spirits of the dead come back to see their living friends and family; Shoro Nagashi wishes them well and sends them back to heaven. This religious festival is loud with firecrackers and gongs, a solemn and joyous seeing-off.
Families and friends who have lost loved ones since the last O-Bon build shoreline boats, while neighborhood associations and groups build moyaibune boats, of bamboo, grass, and wood. Each boat is decked with flowers and lanterns, sometimes with a picture of the deceased and often with a small memorial object. Some boats are designed in the shape of something the deceased particularly loved. These boats are paraded through the Nagasaki streets, past Nagasaki Station, Nagasaki Prefectural Office, and down Kenchozakadori, before being destroyed at the end of the parade in Nagashiba.
Festivities begin at dusk and carry on late into the night. Many streets are closed for the procession, so it is best to take the train or tram to Ohato, Gotomachi, or Nishihamanomachi Stations, and walk to the prime viewing spot at Kenchozakadori outside the Nagasaki Prefectural Office. The Shoro Nagashi attracts up to 190,000 visitors a year, so get there early—and, as this is a religious festival, be respectful!

Daimonji Okuribi
2022-08-15
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 flames to represent the traditional number of worldly desires possessed by humans. The event is the culmination of the O-Bon festival and fires are meant to guide the spirits back to the afterlife. You can see the fire from various spots in Nara Park which lasts around 30 minutes.
For 2021 (as with 2020 due to COVID-19), the fireworks display which usually follows Daimonji ceremony has been canceled. Also, anyone not directly involved in the ceremony will be barred from attending and Nara Park will be closed to visitors.

Hitoyoshi Fireworks Festival
2022-08-15
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 in an exclusive seating area, this festival is completely free.

Sayama Sunflower Maze
2022-08-15 - 2022-08-31
There is a community sunflower field maze in the Horigane area of Sayama City every August. The sunflowers typically bloom during the last two weeks of August. It doesn’t feel like a huge sunflower field as you walk among the blooms, but supposedly there are about 10,000 sunflowers. Thanks to the height of the sunflowers and the density per square meter, the Horigane sunflower field makes the perfect sunflower maze. The sunflowers grow to about 1.7 meters. To be honest, for an adult it is pretty easy to get from start to finish. But children will delight in getting lost among the towering blooms. A dais is in the middle of the field to help people get their bearing. It also doubles up as a convenient place to take a photo. The sunflower maze is free, but if you want to take some home, it costs ￥100 for five sunflowers.

Gozan no Okuribi
2022-08-16
The locals call it Daimonji, the celebration during the height of the O-bon festival where the city’s surrounding mountains are lit up with five bonfires.
Three of the bonfires are lit in the form of Kanji, while the other two are the shapes of a boat and a Shinto gate. It is said that the deceased family’s relatives rise from the spirit world for visits during August 16th, therefore Okuribi literally means, “send-off-fire”. To get the best view of all the bonfires, head to the center of the city: Nakagyo Ward. Or, you can also head one of the five mountains – Daimonji, Daikokuten, Funa Nishigamo, Daihoku-San, Okita, and Mandara. The bonfire is lit between intervals of five minutes, starting at 8:00 PM on Daimonji mountain.
2022 will mark the first time that the event has not been scaled down or canceled since 2019.

Miyazu Toro Nagashi Fireworks
2022-08-16
Held on in the beautiful Amanohashidate area, this event features lantern floating and fireworks for a magical evening in Shimasaki Park. The floating of 10,000 Toro Nagashi lanterns takes place from 6 pm until 7.30 pm and the display of over 3,000 fireworks begins after that, continuing until 8.30 pm. The festival has a 400-year history and was originally held to see off the spirits of the deceased, with fireworks being added in 1924. The traditional Miyazu dance is performed among the ceremonies and stalls so we highly recommend you arrive in time for the festival as well as the fireworks!
For 2022, the fireworks are canceled, but the lantern floating is going ahead.

Earth Celebration on Sado Island
2022-08-19 09:00 - 2022-08-21 22:30
Earth Celebration is a superb three-day taiko and music festival on Sado Island where Kodo (legendary taiko drums troupe) holds open-air concerts, holds taiko workshops, and invites other musicians to collaborate on stage. Sado Island, located off the coast of Niigata, is renowned for its thriving arts and culture scene from kabuki to local artisanship and taiko drums. Taiko Japanese drums have been part of Japan’s summer festivals for centuries and their deep and cacophonous sound echoes the heartbeats of the local people. Take the matsuri (festival) atmosphere but change amateur drummers for professionals, put them on stage, and what you get is Kodo, one of Japan’s most respected professional taiko ensembles. In Japanese, kodo means “heartbeat”, which is considered to be the primal source of rhythm. Read in a different way, the word also means “children of the drum”. This reflects Kodo’s passion to play the drums with a kind of spiritual naivety. In previous years Kodo performers usually travel around the globe to play large concert halls showcasing its wild drumming but they make sure to be back at its Sado base in August when audiences usually come to them. People from all over Japan, and from around the world, venture to Ogi on Sado Island to share their passion for taiko and for music at Earth Celebration. Thousands of people usually come together on Sado Island, every year, to discuss music, create music and enjoy themselves. As this is an outdoor festival in a small seaside town, there is a close exchange with nature and with the local community. Earth Celebration is deeply rooted on Sado Island and in this particular area around Ogi, so much so that the festival has become part of the identity of Ogi and of Sado.

Summer Sonic Tokyo
2022-08-20 - 2022-08-21
Summer Sonic, one of Japan’s premier music events, is a two-day rock festival that’s held simultaneously in both Tokyo and Osaka. All-you-need-to-know As with the previous years, the rock festival is held in both Tokyo and Osaka. For the Tokyo locations, the festival will be held at the Zozo Marine Stadium & Makuhari Seaside Park. Tickets are sold as 1-day or 3-day passes, with prices ranging from ¥13,800 to ¥39,000 (based on 2019 prices). The tickets will be exchanged for wristbands when you enter the venue and will serve as your access pass to the event — so don’t lose them! Other than performances, there will also be food and drink stalls around the venue for party-goers to fuel up before continuing the night’s festivities. More details on the artist lineup will be announced on the official website. History of Summer Sonic Founded in 2000, the Summer Sonic rock festival has been held annually ever since. The festival was independently owned by Creativeman Productions Ltd but was bought over by Live Nation Entertainment in 2014. Star performers from previous years’ events include Coldplay, Zedd, BABYMETAL, The Chainsmokers, Radwimps, BLACKPINK, Perfume, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and more.
Summer Sonic Main Stage 2015: Zedd Performing from Afar (Photo: Nesnad / CC BY-SA 4.0)
The festival has, historically, attracted diverse lineups, from local rock musicians and indie bands to internationally-acclaimed pop/rock singers. With a star-studded lineup each year, it is no wonder how Summer Sonic attracted over 350,000 attendees in 2019 alone. Aside from Summer Sonic, the Fuji Rock Festival is another one of Japan’s biggest annual music events.

Summer Sonic Osaka
2022-08-20 - 2022-08-21
Summer Sonic, one of Japan’s premier music events, is a two-day rock festival that’s held simultaneously in both Tokyo and Osaka. All-you-need-to-know for SUPERSONIC As with the previous years, the rock festival is held in both Tokyo and Osaka. For Osaka, the performances will be at Maishima Sonic Park (Maishima Sports Island). The Osaka venue is usually accessed via an event shuttle bus that leaves from Cosmosquare Station. Tickets are sold as 1-day or 3-day passes, with prices ranging from ¥13,800 to ¥39,000 (based on 2019 prices). The tickets will be exchanged with wristbands when you enter the venue and will serve as your access pass to the event — so don’t lose them! Other than performances, there will also be food and drink stalls around the venue for party-goers to fuel up before continuing the night’s festivities. More details will be announced on the official website. History of Summer Sonic Founded in 2000, the Summer Sonic rock festival has been held annually ever since. The festival was independently owned by Creativeman Productions Ltd but was bought over by Live Nation Entertainment in 2014. Star performers from previous years’ events include Coldplay, Zedd, BABYMETAL, The Chainsmokers, Radwimps, BLACKPINK, Perfume, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and more.
The festival has historically attracted diverse lineups, from local rock musicians and indie bands to internationally-acclaimed pop/rock singers. With a star-studded lineup each year, it is no wonder how Summer Sonic attracted over 350,000 attendees in 2019 alone. Aside from Summer Sonic, the Fuji Rock Festival is another one of Japan’s biggest annual music events.

Echizen Asakura Mantoya Lightup
2022-08-20 18:00 - 2022-08-21 21:00
In late August, there was an illumination event called, ‘Echizen Asakura Mantoya’ at Ichijodani Asakusa Ruins in Fukui City. This event has been held for ten years now, and in it thousands of candles are lit up to illuminate the ancient historical ruins in Ichijodani valley. The ruins are surrounded by serene mountains, and the illuminated mountain scenery looks so mysterious at night. In 2004, when the first ‘Mantoya’ was scheduled to be held, a severe rainstorm hit Fukui city. Some areas of the city were flooded badly and they almost gave up holding the event. However, more than 10,000 volunteers came from all over Japan to help locals recover from the damage, and thanks to them the first ‘Mantoya’ was successfully held with 3,000 candlelights illuminating the ruins. Since then, the event has been held annually, and the candle cups have been recycled carefully. Along with the ‘Mantoya’ light-up, a ‘Sengoku Festival’ was also held. ‘Sengoku’, as you may know, signifies the Warring States Period of Japan (1467–1573). The ruins, (i.e. the festival venue) were once the castle town of the Asakura Clan, which reigned in Fukui for 103 years (the town was burnt down by Oda Nobunaga in 1573 and the Asakura Clan ran away in defeat), and the festival was named after the period in which this place prospered. In the ‘Sengoku Festival’, as you might imagine, various ‘Sengoku Period’-related events were held, such as a ‘Samurai Procession’ in which people in full samurai armor march along the street, or performances of Japanese martial arts, to remind you of what life was like during the samurai era. The most impressive event was the Harquebuse Firing performance. Harquebuse is a firearm imported to Japan in the 16th century, and samurai at the time fought with this ‘new’ firearm in hand (Unfortunately I have no photos of the Sengoku Festival to show you what it was like.)

KAGAYA Starry Sky World Exhibition
2022-08-23 10:00 - 2022-08-31 20:00
Kagaya is a Japanese photographer with a large social media following, and he has become famous for his starry night sky shots. From capturing the twinkling stars of a Hokkaido winter evening, or snapping the incredible reflection of stars on the Uyuni Salt Flats in Bolivia, Kagaya travels the world in search of these amazing after-dark skyscapes. A special exhibition taking place at the Sogo Museum of Art will explore several Kagaya’s starry night sky photography works, along with video footage captured on his travels.
Stars and the Northern Lights in Iceland (Photo: Sogo & Seibu Co., Ltd.)
Adult admission to the exhibition is priced at ¥1200, and no reservations are required. To see more of Kagaya’s works on social media, check out his Instagram or Twitter.

Anamori Inari Shrine Lantern Festival
2022-08-23 18:00 - 2022-08-25 22:00
Every year in late August, the parishioners of Anamori Inari Shrine In Ota City join the priests and their attendants to light handmade lanterns, asking Inari-sama, the god of rice, for the granting of wishes. The lanterns which bear images made by children and adults alike are set up on the day of the festival. Illustrations of kabuki actors and interpretations of ukiyo-e prints hang next to popular characters and naive landscape paintings. Parishioners and visitors gather around sunset for a Shinto ceremony in the sanctuary before the lantern lighting. The female shrine attendants in red hakama trousers and local elders distribute candles to each person and direct them to make their wishes at the opened sanctuary. One by one, each person takes a turn to light the 300 or so lanterns. Despite being part of vast urban Tokyo, the festival has a hometown feel, and the parishioners welcome everybody to join the festivities. Just like any small neighborhood festival, the evening is whiled away with children’s dance performances to pop music followed by more traditional drumming and dancing. And eating. Stay around a while and have yakisoba and drinks at the food stalls.

Shinjo Matsuri
2022-08-24 08:30 - 2022-08-26 20:00
Shinjo City in Yamagata is proudly home to Shinjo Matsuri, which is arguably the best festival in Tohoku. This festival, with its history of 250 years, is celebrated from August 24th to 26th every year and consists of city-wide parades of giant floats, each depicting a story, over three days. It is also remarkable for hosting over 400 stalls selling food, drink, toys, and even turtles.

Okutsuhime Shrine Festival in Wajima
2022-08-25 - 2022-08-28
Young men dressed in women’s clothes and with make-up on their faces carry a portable shrine into the ocean at Sodegahama Beach. Then small children on shore pull long ropes attached to the shrine back and forth. This is the Okutsuhime Shrine Festival, the first in a series of four shrine festivals in Wajima. What a spectacle to watch; full of excitement and great fun. Late summer is a perfect time to visit the Wajima area of the Noto Peninsula to enjoy some great spectacles at the Wajima Grand Festivals. Yes, it is not one but four festivals related to local shrines that take place from August 22 to 25 each year. The festive activities start with the Okutsuhime Shrine Festival. Here is the legend that gave reason to this festival: A Shinto God-Princess (hime means princess in Japanese) lived on Hegura Island about 50 km off the coast of the Noto Peninsula, Her Shinto God-Prince lived on the land in Wajima. They were very much in love but sadly, they were allowed to meet only once a year. The fisherman of Wajima wanted to help the lovers find each other by carrying giant lanterns to brighten the night. Giant candles became giant lanterns (kikiro) in the shape of votive candles. Well, it has been said that they get intimate, and the meeting of the two results in the birth of a new god. Where there is love, there is jealousy. The God-Prince got jealous of the young, healthy local men who carried the portable shrine (mikoshi) with the God-Princess. To attract the wrath of a Shinto God is a terrible thing. Hence, the local men started to dress as women and wore make-up like women. They still do this to this day making for a fun atmosphere. After the Shinto ritual, a group of local children and teenagers perform a vigorous taiko drumming show. The mikoshi is carried from Okutsuhime Shrine to Sodegahama Beach, where a Shinto priest conducts a purification ritual before the shrine enters the water of the ocean. Then the action starts for good: the young men carry the shrine down the beach lined to both sides by local noblemen, then through a Shinto gate and into the water of the ocean. A rope is attached to the mikoshi which is held by young children who aim to prevent the men from entering the water. Like this, the mikoshi is carried in and out of the ocean many times, until finally it is taken back ashore and brought to a temporary shrine for one night. The locals must enjoy this fun event a lot because they repeat it a second time the following day. Let legend by legend, the locals celebrate this shrine festival at the end of the fishing season to say thank you to the Shinto-Gods (kami-sama) for helping them to catch a lot of fish, stay accident-free, and bring good fortune to their homes. If you want to search for the princess, then make a trip to Hegura Island! It is just 2 km by 1 km in size and less than 100 people live there. A ferry takes locals and guests from Wajima Port to Hegura Port in 1h30min. Beware! There is only one ferry in the morning going to the island and one ferry in the evening coming back to Wajima. What to do if you get bored of princess hunt? Locals say that Hegura Island is a good spot for angling and bird-watching!

Niwaka Lantern Festival
2022-08-27
You might have heard of Kiriko in Wajima but do you know Niwaka? A procession of colorfully painted floats marks the end of summer in Ukawa, a fishermen’s village on the Noto Peninsula. This is the time when the locals give thanks to the gods for a good fishing season. Like many summer festivals in Japan, this festival is related to the local shrine, Sugahara Shrine, and the whole local community is involved. Niwaka is a type of Kiriko lantern. Whereas Kiriko is long and slim in Wajima, Niwaka in Ukawa Village, now part of Noto Town in Oku Noto, are more roundish (7m x 5m) and they feature colorful paintings. In particular, Benzaiten, one of the Seven Lucky Gods, is prayed to for a good catch and an accident-free season. Locals say that Benzaiten selects one of the warriors painted on the Niwaka during the climax of the festival in front of the Benzaiten Shrine which is a taiko competition that lasts from midnight until 3 am. The story goes that Niwaka, which literally means “unexpected”, was built and decorated by locals in Ukawa Village when they expected Lord Maeda, the daimyo (over-lord) for this area. The Maeda Clan was one of the most powerful samurai clans in Japan during the Edo Period (feudal period). They were the Daimyo of Kaga Domain, nowadays part of Ishikawa Prefecture, and they had their castle in Kanazawa. In the middle of the 19th century Lord Maeda, the 13th was on his round of inspections and passed through the area when the locals held their annual “harvest celebrations”, a festival that is reaching back about 400 years. They wanted to surprise their Lord and created these large, colorful lanterns. The lanterns are decorated with paintings of warriors. The criteria for choosing the motif are to depict powerful and handsome warriors. The Niwaka have painted anew every year. It takes two months to complete the painting. Each is a piece of folk art. Currently, there are nine Niwaka. Initially, it was just two wards in this community, but now there are nine wards engaged, hence, nine Niwaka. The ward leader decides what the painting should on the lantern be each year. Next local boys and girls in typical festival outfits gather near the Niwaka. They take turns beating taiko drums for a while for spectators to enjoy. Around 8 pm the locals enjoy fireworks that brighten up the night sky just behind the shrine. The fireworks add even more light and atmosphere to the place where the colorful, illuminated Niwaka wait to be taken around. After the fireworks, the procession of Niwaka starts at around 9 pm, and it continues until the early morning around 3 am. The large cards and lanterns are moved one by one past the shrine and then in the opposite direction along the small roads of the village. While the starting point was Sugahara Shrine, the finishing point is Kawase Shrine. Niwaka Matsuri takes place every year on the fourth Saturday in August. Preparations are going on throughout the day, but celebrations begin after dark. The nine Niwaka are lined up in front of Sugahara Shrine. Each Niwaka consists of a movable wooden base with wheels and a large lantern on it. The doors and windows of many traditional townhouses are open and visitors can observe the locals enjoying dinner with family members and friends. Walking through the village one can feel a jolly and exciting atmosphere building up. During the procession, the inhabitants of the houses come out and join in or sit in front of the houses to watch the spectacle. There are about 4,500 inhabitants in Ukawa and about 2,000 guests join the festival each year. Compared to many other summer festivals in Japan, the Niwaka Festival is very local and most of the attendants are members of the community and friends rather than guests. With no big crowds like elsewhere, and the Niwaka fireworks close up, this festival is truly a unique experience for foreigners to witness.

Takasaki Kannon Lantern Festival
2022-08-27 17:00 - 21:00
Follow the giant footsteps carved into the ground to the top of the mountain, where the landmark Kannonyama stands majestic, watching over the city of Takasaki. From here you can look out on the entire city, the mountains a constant backdrop in the distance. Be careful not to visit the statue with a partner or someone who might have future potential, for legend has it that to view the statue together ensures the relationship will end in a jealous doom. On the evening of this festival, thousands of candles are lovingly arranged all the way along the walkway to the top, guiding you through the dark to where musicians, dancers, and food stalls await to entertain you. Lanterns shaped into hearts, archways of candles, and lights illuminating the statue around the base make this an excellent place to come for a relaxing evening with friends. I’d advise you not to eat before you to turn up as the festival’s food stalls are above and beyond the kinds of fare found at your average street festival. Mouthwatering Turkish kebabs, Gunma’s famous yaki-Manju (bread fried with a sweet miso paste), and a strange range of gelato flavors are all available, with benches overlooking the city to sit and chow down on. The festival is held every 4th day of August. A shuttle bus runs from outside of Takasaki station’s west exit directly to the top of the mountain where the festival is held and takes under ten minutes. You’ll have to wait until the sun begins to go down for the candles to be lit, but if you arrive early then I recommend climbing the inside of the statue and peeking out from one of her viewpoints for a glorious birds-ey view of the city.

Omagari Hanabi
2022-08-27 19:00 - 20:30
Described by Lonely Planet as Japan’s Olympics of fireworks, the Omagari Hanabi has a history spanning more than a century. The best pyrotechnicians from around the country gather in the city of Daisen, Akita Prefecture, to show off their skills with an array of incredible firework displays set to music. The overall winner of the event receives the prestigious Prime Minister’s Award, which is only given at one other fireworks event – the Tsuchiura Fireworks Festival in Ibaraki. The event draws in hundreds of thousands of spectators each year, so anticipate crowds if you plan to attend.

Yodogawa Fireworks Festival
2022-08-27 19:30 - 20:30
An excited crowd clad in their best Yukatas, the smell of grilled sausages from the street vendors, sounds of excitement and thrill from kids sitting on their parent’s shoulders, anxiously waiting for the next masterpiece painted on the dark summer sky. Held on the first Saturday of August every year, the annual Yodogawa Fireworks Festival is ranked among the top 10 most popular fireworks in the Kansai region, and this is indeed one of the most awaited events in Osaka. This event started in 1989 and has close to 500,000 people watching the massive display of fireworks. You’ll be awed by the creativity of firework craftsmen who designed the various fireworks that decorate the dark summer sky. Together with the crowds who came from all over Japan, you are connected for that moment, like you are a part of a big family, eagerly waiting for the next launch of firework into the sky. You can see the fireworks from many different places if you want to enjoy the rare experience of being totally immersed in the Japanese festive mood; I personally recommend you sit by Yodogawa on either side with the sweaty packed crowd. All the uneasiness of being sardined in the crowd of the night just disappears when you see children clapping their hands and stamping their little feet with every firework released. The fireworks start at slightly before 8 pm but to beat the crowd and get yourself a good spot, I would urge you to come to reserve your place at least one or 2 hours before. Come earlier to be delighted by the unique Japanese festival food and picnic by the river. If you want to be sure of a spectacular view, there are also reserved seats with tickets priced at 2,500 yen for a standing seat, and up to 8,000 yen per person for a seat complete with a bento picnic box and chilled drinks. My personal favorites are the fireworks that flow like waterfalls from the sky. I also like special that portrays famous Japanese comic characters of Hello Kitty and Doraemon. Look out, especially for the climax of the day — with non-stop shots of the sky that lasts about 10 seconds. The night feels like daylight and you will surely be moved by the 50 minutes long gigantic panorama of the summer sky.

Shosan-ji Summer Festival
2022-08-30 18:00 - 21:00
Inside the temple grounds are food stalls with grilled food, including grilled squid, and lanterns light the path leading to the temple. The temple grounds have a different atmosphere than usual, with groups of families gathering for this special event. August 30th is the Buddhist memorial service at Shousan-ji, which is the 12th temple out of 88 on a pilgrimage route in Shikoku. This area also hosts the Awa Odori Festival and other traditional bon dances. Not only can you watch this festival, but you can also participate. When the main portion of the festival finishes, there is a karaoke event followed by fireworks. The fireworks burst in the sky, which is so vast that it seems to swallow the small temple. Shooting off only 150 fireworks, this festival may seem small in comparison to others, but the the grandeur cannot be matched. This event ends just as the month of September starts, marking the time when the leaves start to change colors, giving the mountains vibrant fall colors.

Mount Fuji Long Ride
2022-09-01 - 2022-09-15
Considered one of Japan’s premier cycling events the iconic, annual Mount Fuji Long Ride event invites cycling veterans and beginners alike to the foothills of Yamanashi to cycle around the Fuji Five Lakes region in the shadow of Mount Fuji. Part of the Tour de Nippon circuit of rides that takes place across Japan throughout the year, the Mount Fuji Long Ride takes place every September and attracts riders from all over Japan. From lakeside views of Mount Fuji to the cover of the forest canopy, the course promises a fun-filled and adrenaline-packed ride, no matter your skill level. Three courses ensure the event (not technically a race) remains open to all. For advanced cyclists, embark on a 130 km ride around all Five Fuji Lakes. As an intermediate cyclist, you can choose the 60 km ride around Lake Yamanaka and Lake Kawaguchi. Lastly, if you are looking for a relaxed course, as a beginner cyclist, set out on the 30 km course around Lake Yamanaka and scenic Oshino Village.
Photo: Mt Fuji Long Ride
The event starts and finishes along the southern shore of Lake Yamanaka, with the start-line providing a magnificent, Instagram-friendly glimpse of Mount Fuji on the horizon – with the sun out, it’s the perfect start to the ride and—along with Yamanashi’s idyllic landscape—will surely keep spirits high well into the first 10 km! Some well-timed aid stations along the course go beyond just providing a welcome respite from the late summer heat, by offering a taste of local Yamanashi fare, including a Houtou stew of flat udon noodles, with nutrition-packed snacks and drinks being prepared and sourced locally to keep the legions of exhausted riders going. All drinks and foods along the course are included with registration.
Participation fees for the three courses are ¥9000 for the 130km, ¥6000 for the 60 km, and ¥4000 for the 30 km course. The rental bicycle fee is ¥5400 including equipment such as helmets and gloves. Be sure to pick up your completion certificate with time at the end of the race. There are light food and drink selections offered once finished as well as a few paid food and drink stands in the area. If you came in a group there is plenty of space to sit down, enjoy the mountain air, and communicate with locals while you wait for everyone to finish. Last year local university students set up a free massage tent although each year the arrangements differ. Please note that attendees must register in advance with a registration deadline of August 19th.
Mt. Fuji Long Ride Bike Tour Mount Fuji Long Ride represents a great opportunity for those looking for a way to experience Japan’s countryside. The event is perfectly suited to both foreign residents and tourists alike – who can even sign up for a bike tour for this year’s event, held on September 9th, while stopping by along the route to discover some local spots like the Ninja Village at Oshino Shinobino Sato. Cycling enthusiasts can also book their place at the standard Fuji cycling event through Japan Travel as well. Time Description 8:00 am Group arrival at the venue 8:00 am ~ 9:00 am Rental bicycle and gear fitting 9:00 am 60 km course start 10:00 am 30 km course start 5:00 pm Goal time limit
Types of Bicycles Mount Fuji Long Ride provides a variety of rental bikes available to accommodate children and adults. Road Bikes Maker / Model Variable Height Size Felt / Verb Elite 145 ~ 155cm 430mm Felt / FR60 150 ~ 165cm 470mm Wachsen / Stahl BSR-70 165 ~ 173cm 520mm Felt / FR60 170 ~ 185cm 540mm Mountain Bikes Maker / Model Variable Height Size AGGRESSOR2.0 /GT 135～150cm XS AVALANCHE Women / GT 135～150cm XS AGGRESSOR2.0 / GT 140～155cm S Escape8.1 / HERO 140～160cm 13.5 Women Pro / Mongoose 140～180cm Pro / Mongoose 145～160cm S AVALANCHE Sports / GT 150～165cm S Escape8.1 / HERO 155～170cm 15.5 ANCHOR SportsXR700 / Bridgestone 160～170cm AVALANCHE 3.0 / GT 160～175cm M PANTERA COMP / GT 160～180cm S AVALANCHE Sports / GT 165～175cm M Pro / Mongoose 165～185cm M ZASKAR / GT 170～185cm L KARAKORAM COMP29 / GT 170～190cm L Escape8.1 / HERO 170～200cm 19.5 AVALANCHE / GT 175～200cm XL
Photo: Mt Fuji Long Ride

Snow Machine Hakuba
2022-09-01 - 2022-09-15
Snow Machine came to Japan in 2019! Being the first-ever major winter music festival being held on a Japanese ski field. Snow Machine, a sister festival of the popular Australian “Wine Machine” is organized by Australia-based Falcona and Hakuba.com. About Hakuba The Hakuba Valley sits 250km west of Tokyo in the heart of the Japanese Alps. It’s the most popular ski area in Honshu and hosted the 1998 Winter Olympics. The Valley consists of 10 resorts accessible with the same lift pass. Festival Venues The festival will have multiple stages throughout the Hakuba Valley, including stages on the resort, the main stage in the Happo-One Village, and late-night stages at venues throughout the three main villages, Happo, Echoland, and Wadano. How to Buy Tickets Festival tickets are currently being sold at Snow-Machine.com and include accommodation and lift passes to three of the best resorts in the Valley. Guest can customize their packages by choosing various types of accommodation, additional services such as lessons and ski hire, and can even book flights through the festival organizers. Event Report Snow Machine Lineup Snow Machine will feature huge Australian names such as Peking Duk, Hermitude, MC Lilly, The Jungle Giants, Client Liasion, and more! Popular Japanese artists performing at Snow Machine include Kenji Takimi, DJ Kentaro, and Shinichi Osawa. A Look at Last Season: Music in Hakuba Last year, Hakuba.com hosted Tom Tilley and Hugo Gruzman, Hot Dub Time Machine, and Hayden James for three separate shows throughout the winter season. The artists all performed multiple performances at various venues giving fans several intimate snow-filled dance parties. Building on the success of last year, the ski town of Hakuba will open its doors to some of the most popular Australian and Japanese artists over 4 days. The festival is sure to be a huge draw for snow lovers in Japan and around the world.

Lantern Festival in Nozawa Onsen
2022-09-08 09:00 - 2022-09-09 23:00
Each year, on the 8th and 9th of September, Nozawa Onsen comes alive for the amazing Lantern Festival. Festivals are something that Nozawa Onsen village does well and while January’s Fire Festival may get all the hype due to coinciding with plenty of powder snow, September’s Lantern Festival is a local favorite and a great chance to explore Nagano in early Autumn. September 8th During the early evening on September 8th, Oyu Dori (Nozawa’s main street) springs to life with street vendors and a parade featuring drums, flute players, dancing, and an age-old Japanese folk pantomime. Being the end of summer and the beginning of autumn, the performance is said to dispel evil in favor of good luck while ensuring a bountiful rice harvest. All the while, villagers and tourists can enjoy themselves as the sake flows. September 9th On the 9th, the men in their “Yaku” (bad luck) years, shake off their hangovers and carry a heavy “Omikoshi” through the village. The villagers donate bottles of sake to the action taking place which not only adds to the spectacle but also the time it takes for the men to complete their mission of carrying the Omikoshi to the Shrine. Everybody is on hand to cheer them on and help them up the stairs of the Shrine around sunset. All in all, it’s a magic time to be in the village. Get your friends together and escape the city for a taste of traditional culture and friendly locals. If you happen to know someone visiting Japan over the weekend of the 8th & 9th of September, make sure to let them know. Nozawa Holidays are doing a cheap 2-night package at Villa Nozawa but of course, you can always extend it. 2-night stay at Villa Nozawa (shared bathroom), free use of public onsens, kitchen available to use; ¥9,000pp 2-night stay at Villa Nozawa (ensuite room), free use of public onsens, kitchen available to use; ¥13,000pp 2-night stay at Villa Nozawa (shared room), free use of public onsens, kitchen available to use; ¥6,000pp There are also some self-contained options available at Nozawa Central, Nozawa House, and Harvest House. Please feel free to contact Nozawa Holidays with any questions at stay@nozawaholidays.com. Nozawa Onsen Nozawa is now world-renowned for its “Powder Snow” in Winter and is one of the top ski resorts in Japan. However, it is also a magic little mountain village to visit in the “Green Season”, not just for this festival but any time from April to November when the snow returns. Some of the great outdoor activities to explore include: Hiking Mountain biking – rent a bike from 2000 yen a day Kayaking, stand-up paddle and rafting Yoga and Meditation Golf, Tennis, Soccer Relaxing in an onsen Accommodation rates during that time are as low as 3000 yen per person per night. Here is a link to more details https://www.nozawaholidays.com/summer-nozawa-green-season/ Nozawa Holidays’ yoga retreat is coming up in August and October. Spots are limited. https://www.nozawaholidays.com/yoga-retreat “

The Hanamaki Festival
2022-09-10 - 2022-09-11
The Hanamaki Festival is one of the 3 biggest in Iwate, the other 2 being Sansa Odori in Morioka and the Mizusawa Festival in Oshuu. The streets of downtown Hanamaki are usually rather quiet but for 3 days in September, they come to life with hundreds of floats and portable shrines. People of all ages participate in the fun from elementary school children to adults. There are many side activities as well during the festival. The festival is held in honor of Nobuchika Kita 1523-1613, the founder of Hanamaki, the festival started at the end of the 16th century. The festival has been held annually since. The festivities start around 17:00 on the second Friday of September until 21:00, on Saturday, it starts at noon and runs until 21:00 also. On the last day, Sunday, it starts at noon and ends at 19:00. During that time, you’ll see elaborately decorated floats featuring some ancient folk tales or historical events. It takes a couple of months to build the floats mostly made of paper-mâché; they have to be built to withstand the rain (it often rains during the festival). Many floats have live flames shooting out at several places; they are very impressive at night! All Junior High Schools are represented with a portable shrine (“mikoshi” in Japanese) in the parade, and there is fierce competition among the teams to impress the crowds. Most neighborhoods are represented by a float as well. A typical float has young children at the front playing the flute, next older children playing the shamisen, and adults at the back playing the drums. The melody played originated in Kyoto several centuries ago. There are also smaller portable shrines paraded through the streets of each neighborhood earlier in the day. All schools finish at noon on the Friday of the festival to allow children to participate in the parades. Each float is an absolute work of art; they are the main attraction of the festival. Another great feature of the festival is the Kagura Deer Dancers; there are several versions around Iwate but here the dancers are covered in deer-like costumes and perform drum dances on Kamicho (上町 – the main street where the festival takes place). Perpendicular to Kamicho is Toyosawa-cho, the street where all the food stalls and other vendors are located. You can find the usual festival foods like yakisoba, takoyaki, udon, cotton candy, and more. Each year new ones are being tried. You can also find all kinds of toys, goldfish, and some arts and crafts on sale on that street.

Echigo Winery Grape Festival
2022-09-10 10:00 - 2022-09-11 15:30
In a region of Niigata which is perhaps better known for sake, it may come as a surprise to find a working winery. Echigo Winery produces a range of different beverages, including red wine, white wine, sparkling wine, and rosé, and they host an annual grape festival that is suitable for the entire family. Held at the winery premises and the neighboring Yairo no Mori Park, there are plenty of enjoyable activities for all age groups, including grape picking, outdoor stage performances, and lots of food and beverages for sale. The staff at the festival are diligent in ensuring that alcohol isn’t served to anyone underage or those who are driving, so if you do plan on attending it is advisable to have a designated driver or to utilize public transportation to get to the venue.

Jozenji Street Jazz Festival Sendai
2022-09-10 10:00 - 2022-09-11 18:00 | Sendai City Center, Sendai City Center, Sendai, Sendai, Japan
Jazz music is not everyone’s cup of green tea, so it was quite a shock to discover that the Jozenji Street Jazz Festival is one of Sendai’s biggest annual events. Starting back in 1987 on a department store stage, the festival soon moved outdoors into the streets. In recent years the growing festivities have assaulted the entire city with more than forty stages, hundreds of performers, and thousands of visitors. And here’s a secret: all kinds of music from rock, pop, gospel, Latin (you name it and they’ve got it) are performed—not just jazz. It is one of the most unique music festivals in Japan, and it’s all free!!! Looking at a map of the Jozenji Street Jazz Festival can be at first a bit overwhelming. While the event is always held two days over a weekend in September and the number of stages or their locations can change slightly each year, the hardest choice of the day is where to go. Stages stretch from few and far between around Tsutsujigaoka Park (one station away from Sendai station), through the main shopping arcade and pedestrian mall, all the way down to the main stages and headquarters of Kotaikoen Park. A long detour leads down Jozenji Street, from which the festival borrows its name. Jozenji Street is lined with large and beautiful Zelkova trees. The street is a symbol of the city. It stretches down to Nishikoen Park which hosts a flea market and World Kitchen area to sample international cuisine. Walking the entire course would take more than an hour. If it still hasn’t sunk in yet, the festival is huge! Two days might not even be enough to enjoy it all. Of course, do try to attend bands or genres of music you are interested in, but fill in any downtime by following your ears. Most travelers and locals get their jazz on by first starting at Sendai Station. Some people opt to go see the six or so stages behind the station and clustered in Tsutsujigaoka Park. Even if it is your first time in Sendai, it isn’t hard to find your way around. The event has an army of volunteers as well as hired security guards that move you in the right direction. It won’t be long until you start hearing music. You will be hearing it all day. The stages are set just far enough apart so that one performance does not interfere with another but just close enough so that visitors never experience silence. Smaller stages are placed along the center or edges of the covered shopping arcades (which provide great acoustics). These stages may only have one or two performers with a crowd of fewer than fifty people. It is nice knowing that a festival this large can still provide such intimate moments between musician and audience. Pass a few folk song artists and a blues performer (singing in English!) and you might hear angels. It’s a gospel choir singing from a second-floor balcony bridging over the mall walkway! This was a huge hit last year. Next, your friend pulls your sleeve towards the blaring of a trumpet. A small stage inside a store provides perfect acoustics. You just never know where the next stage will be. It’s all part of the fun. As the festival picks up energy the crowds get bigger and the music louder. Huge stages capable of hosting a few hundred people each center around Kotaikoen Park (located right outside Kotaikoen station, less than 10 minutes via subway from Sendai station). Even bigger performances occur during night performances which start around six in the evening. Japanese rock bands, a Japanese version of the Beatles(?), and Japanese taiko drumming kept the crowds moving until late in the evening. The Jozenji Street Jazz Festival is something every music lover needs to attend. Although not all performers are big superstars, all are very good at what they do. Pride is on the line and all performers give their best and sound great! Fun for everyone in a beautiful backdrop of greenery along with a free price tag means it is almost impossible not to have a good time.

The Odaigahara Hill Climb
2022-09-11
Kami-Kitayama-mura in southeast Nara Prefecture has acres, hectares, and uninterrupted square miles of unsullied mountain, valley, and river nature and a population of between just 500 and 600 people. For a tiny rural village, though, Kami-Kitayama-mura does know how to hold a big event. Making use of the mountainous Odaigahara area and the roads that access it, Kami-Kitayama-mura has held the Odaigahara Hill Climb Bike Race every September since 2001. With a 28-kilometer (~17.5 miles) course that climbs 1240 meters (~4067 feet) over the middle 8-kilometer (5-mile) stretch, a finish line at nearly 1600 meters (a full mile) in elevation, and time limits established for completing the event (and each section of the course), the Odaigahara Hill Climb draws so many people that the organizers have to cap participation at 800. The participation of a small number of foreign riders in recent years inspired Kami-Kitayama-mura to give the event a more international feel. Watch the Odaigahara Hill Climb To encourage the participation of more foreign riders, Kami-Kitayama-mura has created an English page on the website for the Odaigahara Hill Climb and offers special perks to foreign participants. Event Report, 2015: The burning in my legs throbbed and faded with every pedal stroke. After a short walking and water break I settled back into the pace I knew I could maintain for the remainder of the Odaigahara Hill Climb’s punishing 8km Geki-zaka hill climb section. The road narrowed and disappeared into a stand of cedar trees, but I could see that the slope slackened and perhaps leveled out. I stood up and pedaled harder and climbed to the trees. The road did level out, and not only that, there was a stretch of downhill before the next short slope. Elation burst from within, I had reached the top of the Geki-zaka! The hardest part of the Odaigahara Hill Climb was behind me. Energy surged without my having to command it and I pedaled hard to pick up speed down the short slope. Pain erupted suddenly, a muscle spasm in my left calf, nearly causing me to tip over and fall off the bike as I struggled to unclick my foot from the pedal, scrub the speed I’d just built up, and avoid crashing into the trees. My Japanese is quite strong, but there was enough written information in English and a native English speaker on hand at the reception and sign-in event in Kami-Kitayama-mura the day before the race. The friendliness of the staff and a festival food stall lent the sign-in venue a festival feel. English disappeared completely from the events at the starting zone the evening before the race, but the full-on Japanese mountain festival that took place made up for that. Live music performed by a band from Osaka and a talk/comedy show performed by local women and minor celebrities from the Kansai area were the evening’s entertainment. Deer and wild boar meat, along with the usual festival favorites were provided by the food stall (race participants received a ￥500 food coupon to use at the stand), and a fireworks display completed the night’s events. The events of the Odaigahara Hill Climb start early in the morning with rider check-in and baggage storage beginning at 5:30 am, and assembling on the starting grid beginning at 6:10. The riders are divided into 6 classes (Champion, Mountain Bike, Ladies, Couples, Regular Road and Kids) and 8 groups (Champion; MTB, Ladies and Couples; Regular Road Groups 1-5; and Kids), and each group is given the “Go” in 2-minute intervals starting at 7 o’clock. The first 10 kilometers along the mostly flat Kotochi River were easy, and the morning light shining through the mist and bouncing off the trees and river was beautiful. The going got brutal from the start of the Geki-zaka, the 8-kilometer long, 9.3% average grade mountain climb in the middle of the course. The organizers of the Odaigahara Hill Climb place several rehydration and aid stations along the course but the spacing places them near the top of the Geki-zaka and along the final 10.5-kilometer stretch to the goal. Having at least one further down the Geki-zaka could make the climb much easier. Once riders reach the top of the Geki-zaka there’s a 10.5-kilometer run along the undulating Odaigahara Driveway to the top of the slope above the Odaigahara Parking lot. There are a few very fast downhill bits near the top of the Geki-zaka and along the Odaigahara Driveway but the race is an uphill battle and all the more rewarding for it. The prospect of running the race was daunting to me at first and I was fairly certain I wasn’t going to enjoy it, but the sense of accomplishment at succeeding and the “runner’s high” the event left me with were well worth it. My only regret is that I have to wait till next year to run the race again! Got what it takes to challenge a mountain? Happy travels!

Manjushage Festival
2022-09-17 09:00 - 2022-10-02 16:30
This carpet of over 5,000,000 bright red spider lilies beside the Koma River made it to the list of the top 30 reasons to visit Japan or really, the top 30 most beautiful places in Japan. So remarkable, in fact, that the Emperor and Empress of Japan came last year to see it for themselves. The entrance fee of ¥300 allows you to walk amongst the flowers and enter the festival area with all-day stage events and food and souvenir booths. Previous Event
Activities
Manjushage Festival, Koma
For fifty weeks of the year, the town of Koma (just 50 km from Ikebukuro, Tokyo) could be just about anywhere in rural Japan

Niseko Autumn Food Festival
2022-09-26 - 2022-10-09
Seasonal eating is great for a number of reasons – it’s fresher, cheaper, and more sustainable for our planet. The Niseko Autumn Food Festival celebrates this train of thought, and the event will include eighteen local restaurants and bars serving up a range of eats and drinks using autumnal produce. Along with the tastebud tempting goodies on offer, there will also be a variety of live stage performances during the four-day affair.

Hokkaido Fair at Yoyogi
2022-09-29 10:00 - 2022-10-02 19:00
Running for over 30 years now, the Hokkaido Fair at Yoyogi is a multi-day event that brings some of the region’s foodie favorites to Tokyo’s Yoyogi Park. The prefecture is highly regarded for its food exports – especially its dairy products and seafood – and is the home of popular dishes like jingisukan (Genghis Khan lamb barbecue), soup curry, kaisendon (seafood rice bowls), and Hokkaido ramen.
A combination of well-known, established restaurants and under-the-radar hidden gems will be sharing a host of popular Hokkaido foods at the event, with the full lineup to be confirmed on the official website closer to the start date.
Admission to the event itself is free, but bring yen for your food purchases.
