Gaido Japan

Zama Suzuka Shinto Shrine Festival
2022-08-01 11:00 - 21:00 (Asia/Tokyo)
During the annual Zama Mikoshi Festival (July 31-August 1st), residents and Mikoshi regulars from neighboring communities carry a portable shrine through the streets of Zama chanting “Say ya, Soi ya, Sah, Sorya” and “Dokkoi, Dokkoi, Dokkoi Sorya”. They are asking the Shinto gods for blessings of good health, more money, and successful procreation. Mikoshi festivals happen all over the country during the summer months. They are true community events and a good window into Shinto celebratory practice. It is no small feat to carry the shrine from noon into the night, the shrine is heavy and the festival happens at the hottest time of year; participants take turns to sustain the weight and heat. There are regular stops along the way, as festival sponsors set up tables of food (rice balls, fried chicken, croquettes, red bean buns, and melon) and beverages (beer, sake, water, green tea, and energy drinks) to keep the participants energized and hydrated. You know when the parade is about to rest when you hear a succession of claps; it is impossible not to join in and after a few hours it becomes a subconscious action. Tap, tap, tap…Tap, tap, tap…Tap, tap, tap…Tap. Passing through the streets, residents emerge from their businesses and homes to make an offering to the gods and cheer on the procession. Zama residents coming home from work join the parade as the shrine is carried past Zama Train Station around sunset. Tired Mikoshi carriers are cheered and re-invigorated by the crowd. It becomes a vibrant and festive party that ends back at the Suzuka Shrine where there is food, drink, and entertainment for all. Back at Suzuka, the nighttime shrine is brought out alongside the portable day shrine and the energy grows as the Mikoshi participants compete against each other to see how high they can toss the portable shrines. They move side to side, forward and back, and make wide circles that send the crowd running to avoid injury. This is meant to delight the gods before returning the shrines to the temple for another year.

Cosmos Season at the Kurohime Plateau
2022-08-01 - 2022-10-15
There are plenty of places to enjoy cosmos flowers during the fall months in Japan, but if you’re after a spot that has been named one of the country’s best destinations for them, look no further than Nagano’s Kurohime Plateau. The flowers have been grown at the foot of Mount Kurohime for almost the last 50 years, and the area is a popular picnic spot when the flowers are blooming. Visitors here also have the unique option to enjoy the flowers from above with a chairlift ride. As is the case with all flower events, the dates can be subject to change from year to year depending on blooming conditions. Based on last year, tentatively plan for around the beginning of August through to the first week of October for your visit.

Morito no Hama bon Dance Festival
2022-08-01 - 2022-08-15 | 240-0112 Kanagawa-ken, Hayama, Horiuchi 922-2,Horiuchi, Japan, 240-0112 Kanagawa-ken, Hayama, Horiuchi 922-2,Horiuchi, Japan, Hayama, Kanagawa, 240-0112, Japan
Do you like the beach? Do you like or want to experience Japanese summer festivals? Then the Morito no hama, bon dance competition/Festival is the best place to be this summer. The Experience You can enjoy great grilled and barbecue dishes on the beach side as well as participate in the festival events. Definitely, a fun-filled experience with great food, great people, and great dancing. If you are not the dancing type, then you can simply relax near one of the food stalls, and enjoy the music and the ambiance. My Experience I went to this festival with three of my Japanese friends, not knowing what to expect, but I left wanting more. Anyone can go join the dancing and not feel foolish. That’s because many of the foreigners who were dancing didn’t seem to have a clue about the next move. But after doing it around three times, it became really fun. Of course, I had no chance of winning the dance competition, but it was fun to watch the experts! Food There are a variety of food stalls for your convenience, so you can pick and choose at will. Be it chicken, shrimp, or fish, it’s all there. This is certainly a festival worth checking out and best of all it’s FREE! I guarantee that this event is one you will look forward to going to again. The only part of this festival you won’t enjoy is when it’s over. Check it out with your friends-the Morito no hama bon dance competition/festival. It will be one that will live in your memories.

Pikachu Outbreak
2022-08-01 - 2022-08-15
Come summer, get ready for a flurry of adorable Pikachu in Yokohama! Expect to see lots of dancing Pikachus in parades, on water, and also light shows with entertaining digital effects.
With over 2000 Pikachu mascots spread over the Minato Mirai Tokyu Square, Grand Mall Park, Yokohama Museum of Art, Queen’s Square, and the Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse, you’ll fall in love with the electric rodent all over again. Similarly dotted all over the place will be numerous photo spots for you to snap a few commemorative pictures. For the largest event of the Pikachu festival, head to Rinkai Park where up to 50 Pikachu will be dancing up a storm.
Apart from catching Pikachu in action, don’t miss the Eevee parades!

Oita Godo Tanabata
2022-08-01 - 2022-08-15
Oita Godo Shimbun Fireworks display is Oita City’s most popular fireworks performance. Held on the last day of the Oita Tanabata Festival – one of the largest summer festivals in the prefecture – the fireworks are a spectacular way to wrap up the summer celebrations. The fireworks take place at the Benten Ohashi Bridge on the Oita River. Watch in wonder at the soaring “fire flowers” reflected beautifully on the surface of the river. What makes Oita’s fireworks so pleasurable is the wide area from which to watch – spectators can relax in the green space on the banks of the river to watch the show. The great variety of fireworks synchronized with music is a crowd pleaser. Approximately 6000 shots are planned every year, lighting up the night sky of the prefecture’s capital. Viewing is free from the river bank, but paid admission to the best seats is available through the Oita Godo Shinbun newspaper office.

Kojiya Awa Dance
2022-08-01 - 2022-08-15
The Kojiya Awa Odori is held along the town’s shotengai (shopping street) where roughly 600 spectators join – lined up 10 rows deep – to watch the dancers and cheer as they pass by. There are about 150 kids who also participate in the performance, which is one of Ota City’s summer highlights. Awa Odori is known as one of the more energetic Japanese festivals due to the style of dance performed. It originates from Tokushima on the island of Shikoku. The Awa Odori is a folk dance unique for its irregular and energetic movements. It is said that the dance started out as a celebration of the newly-built Tokushima Castle; supposedly the townspeople happily guzzled sake until they broke out into a drunken dance that became known as Awa Odori.

Miura Kaigan Fireworks Festival
2022-08-01 - 2022-08-15
Every year in early August, Miura City hosts the Miura Summer Fireworks Festival. For me, that meant a beautiful beach in glorious, sunny weather followed by 3000 fireworks launched off the ocean lighting up the night sky. It had everything a good festival should be; sun, sand, festival food, beautiful yukata, and fireworks.

Swinging Taiko at the Tsuribashi Festival
2022-08-01 - 2022-08-15
Does the idea of taking the stage give you cold feet? Can you imagine if your stage was a wobbly Indiana-Jones-movie suspension bridge? That suspension bridge is the stage for the taiko drummers performing in Totsukawa-Mura’s Yuredaiko. The suspension bridge in question is the Tanize no Tsuribashi, the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in Japan at 297.7 meters in length, and one of, if not the tallest. The walkway sits 54 meters above the river below. The Yuredaiko (literally swinging/swaying taiko drums) is one of the big events to happen at the Tsuribashi Matsuri (Suspension Bridge Festival) in Totsukawa-Mura. The festival takes place on August 4th every year from 4 pm and features, in addition to the taiko, rock bands, ukulele and Tsugaru shamisen performances, and performances by local dance teams. The festival finishes with fireworks at 9 pm. Totsukawa-Mura and the Tanize no Tsuribashi are in the southernmost part of Nara Prefecture miles away from any train station. Nara Kotsu operates a bus service between Yamato-Yagi Station on the Kintetsu Line in Nara Prefecture and Shingu Station on the JR Nanki Line in Wakayama. There are only 3 outbound and 3 return buses per day so it is recommended that you stay the night in Totsukawa-Mura and enjoy its hot springs and other sites while you’re there. Nara Prefecture will refund your bus fare if you do stay one night or more. Happy travels!

One Love Jamaica Festival
2022-08-01 - 2022-09-01
The One Love Jamaica Festival is an annual summer event that will be held in Komazawa Olympic Park and is a good time for those looking to soak up some great food, drinks, dancing, and music. Music seems to flow from every corner of the festival space. Vendors and performers are everywhere playing drums, singing, and creating a truly Caribbean flair. Reggae mostly, of course, and those who can’t play or sing often have a stereo set up with the sounds of one of the most famous Jamaicans, Bob Marley. And that’s not counting the main event stage, which has a full lineup of singers and dancers that enthusiastically rocks all weekend.
Photo: RealShot MASATO
There are rows and rows of tents set up with crafts and vendors. Of course, there is a wide selection of clothes and beachwear, Jamaican style (which means lots of green, yellow, and black designs, lots of tie-dye, and lots of earthy, bohemian styles). There are lots of Latin drums for sale. One tent was selling Usain Bolt merchandise, with clothing and bags featuring the iconic “Fastest Man Alive.”
Usain Bolt merchandise for sale
Of course, every festival brings a huge array of food and drink stalls with it. Good smells wafted everywhere, with the focus on the jerk chicken. There was plenty of jerk chicken stands set up, and though the crowds seemed eager to line up and wait for one or two, there was plenty of delicious food to be found elsewhere, so don’t waste your time lining up with everyone else. The famous Jamaican Red Stripe beer was well represented, as were a number of smaller and lesser-known rum and alcohol makers.
Get them while they’re hot!
And if you can’t make it to the Tokyo event in August, head down to Nagoya’s Hisaya Odori Park to experience the same fun tunes and atmosphere.

Light of Hope
2022-08-01 - 2022-08-15
Each month in Gyoda City dozens of locations participate in a floral water font “hanachozu” event by displaying hanachozu at their premises. The event is called the hanachozu week, but you can actually see the floral fonts for two weeks each month. During that period for one night, only three of the locations also have a light-up called Light of Hope. It is generally on the first Saturday of the month. For the Light of Hope event, Oshi Castle is lit up at night and Gyoda Hachiman and Sakitama shrines light up their floral fonts. Lights go on at dusk and stay on until 8 pm (or 8.30 pm when there are no restrictions due to the pandemic). 2022 Dates are as follows: January 15th February 5th (canceled) March 5th (canceled) April 2nd May 7th June 4th July 2nd September 3rd October 1st November 19th December 3rd

Hirosaki Neputa Festival
2022-08-01 - 2022-08-07
The Hirosaki Neputa Festival is a lower-key (but still spectacular) sibling of the much rowdier Nebuta Festival in Aomori City.
While the Aomori floats are a lot more free-form, Neputa floats in Hirosaki are mainly of a distinctive fan-like shape with scenes from kabuki plays on either side of the float.
To chants of Ya-ya-doh!, the floats are wheeled along Hirosaki’s Dotemachi main shopping street starting next to the castle moat and then heading to the south. The attendants and paraders dress in distinctive Neputa kimono with a colorful sash around their shoulders, pinned with small bells.
While there are reserved, seated areas along the route, there are plenty of free seating areas along the road – which are quickly grabbed by both locals and visitors. Some of the best vantage points are at intersections on the route where the floats briefly stop while young men spin the fan part of the float at high speed using ropes, sometimes flying into the air in the process.
As with all the Nebuta festivals, booking well in advance is recommended if you don’t want to miss out on accommodation.

The Nagaoka Fireworks Festival
2022-08-01 - 2022-08-03 | Nagaoka Station Jōetsu Shinkansen, Nagaoka Station Jōetsu, Japan
The Nagaoka Festival is held from August 1st to August 3rd around the Shinano River in Nagaoka City. Its main attractions are the portable shrine float parades and folk dance processions during the day with large-scale fireworks displays in the evening on the final two days.
The festival has food tents with traditional Niigata cuisine: Kanzuri (a special seasoning made by leaving chili peppers exposed on snow, then adding flour, salt, and yuzu), Hegi-Soba (soba with a special kind of seaweed), Sasa-dango (Japanese rice cake filled with red bean paste, seasoned with mugwort and wrapped in bamboo leaves) and others.
The main fireworks viewing areas require tickets to enter. However, as with most fireworks festivals in Japan, if you’re prepared to watch from slightly further away, you can watch for free. Organizers claim over 1 million spectators attend over the three days, so make sure you have your transport and accommodation organized in advance.
Access
Nagaoka is directly accessible from Tokyo via bullet train in an hour and forty minutes, costing ¥8,400 for an unreserved seat. If you want to keep costs down you can catch local trains for ¥4,750 although this will take nearly six hours. There are buses available from Tokyo with prices starting from about ¥3,900 and a journey time of around three and a half hours.
Accommodation
With a cluster of business hotels located around the main station in Nagaoka, choices here are similar the cost and room-wise. For a simple room, you can choose from the Hotel Hokke Club or the Hotel New Otani which both have Western rooms and economy options. If you want to up the comfort level head to the Teradomari Misaki Onsen Hotel which is out on the coast.
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Lake Suwa Fireworks Festival
2022-08-01 - 2022-08-15
Usually, an incredible 40,000 fireworks go up in smoke in a couple of hours at this mid-summer fireworks festival. However, for 2021 the organizers are running a “special type” event over 15 days with fireworks every day for 10 minutes from 8:30 to 8:40 pm.
Lake Suwa is a rectangular-shaped lake to the south of Matsumoto City in the southwest corner of Nagano Prefecture.
The main viewing area is in Suwa city on the south side of the lake. Regular trains from Matsumoto to Kamisuwa Station take about 35 minutes and the fare is ¥580. As with all large-scale evening events, you should make sure of your transport home. If you’re going by train, make sure you buy your tickets in advance or charge your Suica card so you won’t have to join a long queue in the station when you leave.

Aomori Nebuta Festival
2022-08-01 - 2022-08-07
This festival for which Aomori is most famous takes place in Aomori City during the first week of August, however, on the 1st it is only an evening fireworks display. The main procession of the festival consists of large internally lit floats depicting kabuki scenes that are wheeled around wildly from side to side. Members of the public are free to join in as long as they are wearing the required haneto costume.
The Aomori Nebuta schedule sees parades each evening from the 2nd to the 6th with a procession of floats happening during the day on the 7th with a large fireworks festival in the evening.
If traveling to Aomori for Nebuta, you should make sure to book your accommodation well in advance. The best seating spots along the route are mostly reserved by hotels and tour companies. If you don’t have a seat, either staking out a street corner or buying the festival costume (they are on sale throughout Aomori City) and participating in the parade are your best bets for getting a good view.
In addition to the Aomori Nebuta, there are similar festivals throughout the Tsugaru Plain including Hirosaki Neputa, Goshogawara Tachi-Neputa, Hirakawa Neputa, and Kuroishi Neputa.

All Japan Fireworks Display
2022-08-01 - 2022-08-31
The second of the Summer fireworks events on the Nagara river, this event takes place on the first Saturday of every August. Both events are competitive displays with pyrotechnicians traveling from far and wide to show off their best designs with Mount Kinka in the background. The best seats are on the Nagara riverbank between Nagara-bridge and Kinka-bridge. There are displays and stalls throughout the day, so wear your best Yukata and join the festivities. You can catch a bus from JR of Meitetsu Gifu Station to Nagara-bashi or Ukai-ya.

Yoshinogawa Festival and Fireworks
2022-08-01 - 2022-08-31
Taking place on the banks of the Yoshino River in the Shinmachi neighborhood of Gojo city, this is Nara Prefecture’s most popular fireworks festival.
Not content with a mere 4,000 exploding projectiles, the organizers have added a laser light show and music to the mix. The one-hour show will finish with the launch of a spectacular “star mine” firework.
The festival typically attracts 80,000 people. The venue is a 10-minute walk due south of Gojo station. The festival starts at 2 pm and the fireworks begin at 8 pm.

Okazaki Fireworks Festival
2022-08-01 | Aichi, Aichi, Aichi, Japan
The home of Mikawa fireworks, this is one of the biggest displays in Aichi, with spots by the river reserved a day in advance by many. With a history dating back to the Edo period, the festival uses 70% locally produced fireworks. As a clan stronghold, Okazaki was one of the few towns allowed to produce gunpowder, led by the Ono family. Spectators from across the prefecture and beyond gather for the event with food stalls, entertainment, and music. The show lasts two hours and has some seriously impressive displays, so arrive early and grab a seat!

Summer Festa at Sanuki Mannou Park
2022-07-31 - 2022-08-31
Each year from late July through until late August, Kagawa’s Sanuki Mannou Park hosts a Summer Festa event which is filled with fun summertime activities. There are around 15,000 cheerful sunflowers and 6,000 green kochia to marvel at, along with a water play area and kabutomushi (Japanese rhinoceros beetle) land for the kids — the festival does provide fun for the whole family. For those who want to enjoy the sunflowers at their best, plan your visit for around late July to early August.

Kazahaya Fireworks Festival
2022-07-30 20:00 - 21:00 | Hojo Port, Matsuyama, Ehime, 1572-9 Hojotsuji, Matsuyama, Ehime 799-2430, Matsuyama, Ehime, 799-2430, Japan
In the summer months, local fireworks events are held all over rural Japan. Organized by sundry Rotary Clubs, Lions Clubs, and Chambers of Commerce, they are typically quite spectacular, reflecting the pride of the local area, and they draw crowds in the hundreds and thousands. The Kazahaya Umi Matsuri (Kazayaha Sea Festival) is typical of these events. The Kazahaya area, otherwise known as Hojo, outside Matsuyama is dominated by Kashima Island, a single blob of mountains deposited just offshore. The fireworks are launched from the long piers jutting out northwards from Kashima, and the festival goers gather on the quayside and in the port that serves Kashima just across the water. Those with connections and time to organize procure themselves a fishing boat, load it up with necessities such as cold beer, and bob about in the channel, craning their necks to see the fireworks almost directly above their heads. The area closest to Kashima on the mainland is cordoned off for those who wish to pay 5,000 yen for a camping table that seats four, with the use of temporary toilets and hand washing facilities. Otherwise, entry is free, and unreserved seating is available. The event features a good selection of whizzes, fizzers, squeakers, bangers, and thumpers, with stars, planets, flowers, hearts, palm trees, and other fantastic shapes of momentary duration. The biggest fireworks are loud enough to make your chest thump and fill up your whole field of view. I was sitting next to a gentleman who couldn’t help exclaiming “Do-on!” every time a big one went off. I must say, I sympathized. I might even have said “Do-on!” myself once or twice. The fireworks and smoke, the shape of Kashima looming in the dark, and the lights of the port and boats churning back and forth present a very compelling spectacle. Besides the fireworks, the stalls that line the streets and port are fun too. They sell an amazing array of generally unhealthy but satisfying snacks, cold drinks of every variety, toys that flash and whir, and goldfish. Gaudily painted and illuminated from within, the stalls suck in the crowds. The crowds themselves are a fine sight too. People in Ehime like to put on traditional clothing for festivals. The women appear dressed in bright, flowery yukata belted high below the bust, while the men wear darker colors belted low above the hips. There is much clacking of wooden sandals. It’s best to go by train or bicycle if possible so that you can enjoy the cold beer on tap and avoid the jam of cars that appears almost as soon as the gunpowder smoke has cleared. The nearest station is Iyo-Hojo on the JR line.

Beppu Fireworks Festival
2022-07-30 19:00 - 2022-07-31 21:00
The Beppu Hanabi Taikai (Beppu Fireworks Festival) is a must-see summer event. The festival is held annually on either the last weekend of July or the first weekend of August. Beppu Hanabi Taikai is held at Spa Beach, which overlooks the Pacific Ocean. Hundreds of colorful and varied stalls are set up in preparation for the fireworks spectacle. The stalls sell typical festival food such as yakiniku (grilled meat), takoyaki (octopus balls), yakisoba (fried noodles), crepes, apple candy, kakigori (shaved ice covered in syrup), and cotton candy. People dressed in yukata (summer kimono) browse the stalls and form large queues to get their hands on their favorite festive treats. Members of large companies and organizations gather on a stage by the sand to praise the god of hot springs in the form of traditional dance. You’re more than welcome to try it out for yourselves since locals will gladly guide you in their elegant movements. The dance goes on and on until darkness falls. At this point, you need to be quick on your feet and secure a good spot on the beach because everyone will dash to get the best view of the fireworks display. For the next hour, you can relax and enjoy the brilliant multi-colored spectacle in the starlit sky. The event attracts thousands of people every year and is well known for light explosions of various shapes and sizes. For example, fireworks can form into the shape of an animal, cartoon character, or even Beppu’s famous hot springs logo! As unique as this experience is, there is another way to enjoy Beppu’s fireworks. You have the option to dip into an outdoor hot spring pool and relax your body while watching the lights up in the sky from afar. All at the cost of 400 yen! If that event isn’t enough, Beppu offers yet another similar fireworks festival on the following weekend in the Kamegawa district. The main difference with this one is that it’s by a small fishing port, giving you a true sense of the Japanese countryside. The fireworks are launched from a large boat floating on the calm blue sea. The reflections in the water are simply breathtaking. If you plan on visiting Japan during the summer, then do yourself a favor and don’t miss this beautiful experience.

Matsumoto Grand Taiko Festival
2022-07-30 17:00 - 2022-07-31 21:00
Each year on the last weekend in July the city of Matsumoto in Nagano Prefecture, the “city of music”, already renowned for its historic castle, adds to its fame by hosting the raw and elegant sound and fury that is the annual Matsumoto Grand Taiko (the art of traditional Japanese drumming) Festival. The rhythmic pulse of the city can be heard and felt over two days and nights through the passion of the drummers and the depth of the power of the drums which they strike. Taiko groups from all over Japan come to Matsumoto to participate in the festival, which takes place throughout the city and within the grounds of Matsumoto castle. The festival comprises, in addition to the castle, multiple open-air designated areas in different parts of the city, which play host to multiple taiko performances during the afternoon starting from 1:30 pm. With groups from various parts of Japan performing, it is a pleasure to see the differences in regional styles as well as fluid combinations of showmanship and technical proficiency. Some groups are tremendously well-drilled teams, while others are passionate community groups made up of kids, mums & dads, and grandparents. Regardless of their age or experience, all performers and performances are filled with the special precision, grace, and passion unique to taiko. Each performance is an event in itself and all applause and words of congratulation are humbly received by the performers. At 5:30 pm, as the day gets longer and the sun begins to set, the festivities move to the main event stage inside Matsumoto Castle. No fee is charged and no ticket is required. A raised stage is constructed in the shadow of the castle where the performances take place from 5:30 pm until approximately 9:00 pm. An area of approximately 25m from the front of the stage is neatly divided into free-seating areas on the lawn. There is plenty of room to relax and get a good view of the stage and the castle. Beyond the lawn, seating is a section of individual outdoor chairs organized into a gallery for those with difficulty sitting on the floor. The atmosphere is wonderful. Young and old alike sit mesmerized, captivated by the intricacies of each performance, some of which take on a theatrical element with vibrant costumes and singing. Even the youngest of performers, of primary school age, hold themselves with great character and commitment to the performance. Moreover, as the sun sinks lower, pastel reds and oranges are thrown across the summer sky and clouds and create an unreal effect as they are projected upon and contrasted with the famous white and black surfaces of the castle. Perhaps only if you are particularly sentimental, but at this time it is difficult not to appreciate the weight of history and marvel at the impressive visual and aural intersection of Japanese history and culture. The program begins with individual groups giving 2 or 3 performances each, building up throughout the evening. The penultimate performance is reserved for a professional taiko group (this year: Kodō (鼓童)) to take the stage and, as part of their showmanship, bring the performance into the crowd. The finale can only be described as a taiko tour de force with all groups joining each other on stage for a combined performance of raw power that exceeds even the wildest expectations. A blur of hands and drums from start to finish, each performer exhausts themselves in a union of fierce passion, rigor, and enjoyment in the final performance of the night, which leaves the audience in an equal state of breathlessness. If you’re lucky you might even be able to also catch a glimpse of summer fireworks in the distant night sky to cap off a special evening. All the groups reassemble the next day, with a slight change, to repeat their sensational efforts. The groups are rotated so that those who performed in the castle during the previous evening will perform in the city’s open-air areas and vice versa. In its mythological origin story, taiko is said to have been born when the Shinto goddess Ame-no-Uzume danced wildly atop an empty sake barrel. An experience not to be missed, the festival and its historical setting within Japan’s second oldest extant castle will certainly have you dancing to the beat of a different (taiko) drum.

Shinjuku Eisa Festival
2022-07-30 13:00 - 16:00
Eisa is a style of dancing that originated throughout the Okinawan islands, and each year in early August the Okinawa Zento Eisa Matsuri draws in hundreds of thousands of spectators. For those who can’t get to Okinawa, the Shinjuku Eisa Festival is a great way to experience this part of the region’s rich culture, and it has been running for almost 20 years now. At the event, Eisa dancers from across the Kanto region will perform, complete with traditional drums, costumes, and music. In previous years the crowd numbers have exceeded a million, so anticipate a large turnout. The event is free to enjoy, so if you’re in the area be sure to check it out.

Toyohama Sea Bream Festival
2022-07-30 08:00 - 2022-07-31 17:00
It looks like something out of a Godzilla movie, or a fishy version of King Kong, Clash of the Titans gone wrong! Giant land-based Sea Bream up to 18 meters long and six meters high, charging and attacking each other in clouds of sand and dust and being chased by near-naked men before returning to the sea, where they splash and bob about! Before you call in the armed forces, just remember, this IS Japan! And what you’d be watching is the Toyohama Tai Matsuri, or Sea Bream Festival, an annual event held to pray for maritime safety and an abundant catch. Toyohama, about 50 kilometers south of Nagoya City on the southernmost tip of the Chita Peninsula, Aichi Prefecture is divided into five wards, Hangetsu-Ku, Nakamura-Ku, Nakasu-Ku, Tobu-Ku, and Torii-Ku. Each area makes its own huge bream from frames of bamboo and timber and is wrapped in dyed cotton cloth. During the festival, the giant red and black bream are borne by the local young men around the town and seaside. Smaller fish are carried by child participants and adds a certain charm to the boisterous event. There are other smaller parts of the festival, such as the girl’s shrine maiden dance, and the boys drumming performances. The bizarre annual festival is held on a Saturday and Sunday in mid to late July, depending on the tides at Toyohama Beach. You can see the locals gathering to work on their area’s giant fish in the weeks leading up to the spectacle, and the event itself starts at 10 am on Saturday, with a parade of the fish, carried by up to 60 men dressed in traditional festival garb, happi coats, and headbands, all working in rotation through the town, then a mad dash to the seaside. The best place to see the action is just east of the Toyohama intersection on route 247 just before midday, and from about 12:30 pm at Toyohama Fishing Port, where all five fine fishy festival floats fall in to fight! Saturday night’s festivities end with a massive fireworks display, while Sunday dishes up pretty much the same events, the only real difference being at about 3 pm when the Nakasu Ward’s float leads a spectacular plunge into the ocean, followed by what could be described as a giant fish dance announcing the end of the festival. As with all Japanese festivals, they are well catered for, with hundreds of small food and drink stalls, attractions, and specialty stands popping up along the route and near the main beach area too. Toyohama is located within the Mikawa Bay Quasi-National Nature Park and is surrounded by many sightseeing spots, historical sites, cultural properties, and festivals like the Tai Matsuri.

Kawagoe Million Lights Summer Festival
2022-07-30 00:00 - 2022-07-31 20:00
The Kawagoe Million Lights Summer Festival is a highlight of the annual calendar in the quaint Edo period town of Kawagoe. Just thirty minutes from Ikebukuro station in Tokyo. It has been celebrated for around 150 years. It is a personal favorite event of my family of six. As locals, we have been to this festival several times over the years. It is always held on the last Saturday and Sunday of July each year. The festival extends a large area stretching from the Atre Maruhiro Department store beside the Tobu Tojo Line Kawagoe station up to the top of the main tourist thoroughfare “Ichibangai in the historic warehouse district. Much of the area is made pedestrian-friendly for the course of the festival. Over a thousand festival stalls line the tourist district and station areas. And, as they claim, there are a million lights. There are also stalls and events around Kawagoe City Hall and on the periphery, such as at Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine and Kitain Temple. What to expect at Kawagoe Million Lights Summer Festival Festival lanterns line many of the streets in Kawagoe. You are even greeted by a line of lanterns as you come out of the Tobu Tojo Line Kawagoe station exit. Whether there are a million or not, I do not know, but there are certainly thousands throughout the city. Portable shrines, known as Mikoshi in Japanese, are carried around the town. As the sun begins to set festival floats come to join them for a dramatic parade. Festival Stalls Festival stalls with various offerings are available at all the key locations of the festival including around Hon-Kawagoe, on Crea Mall, and in the tourist area. They don’t just sell food or drink. Some stalls have festival games such as gallery shooting, goldfish scoop, hoops, and other traditional Japanese festival games. Entertainment Throughout the festival, in various locations, there are live performances either on stage or on the street. They include traditional as well as modern music and dance performances, sometimes in moving (but not parade) floats. There are parades too. They have a musket shooting event on an opening day, with the shooters dressed up in warrior outfits and kabuto helmets. You can pick up a timetable, with each of the locations marked on a map, at any of the train stations or information desks. Wind Chimes Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine has an annual wind chime event from early July until to early September. Escape the crowds for a few minutes of reprieve while listening to the soothing sounds of wind chimes in the historic and captivating shrine. Dealing with the heat Make no mistake, it is hot. Kawagoe is close to Kumagaya, the hottest city in Japan, and experiences similar temperatures. Pick up a free uchiwa, a Japanese-style fan, to help keep cool. It doubles up as a nice keepsake too. During the festival, there are several areas where you can cool down by a fan blowing out the cool mist. You can also enter one of the shops in the tourist district or on Crea Mall, the main shopping street, and refresh in the air conditioning. Should you need it, there are a couple of first aid stations set up for the festival period, for example at the car park of Maruhiro Department Store. You can just visit this first aid area just to see inside an ambulance and a fire engine as well.

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.

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.

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

Taiwan Festa at Yoyogi Park
2022-07-29 10:00 - 2022-07-31 20:00
The Taiwan Festa at Yoyogi Park is an annual event that has been running since 2016, and it originally started as a way to strengthen the relationship between Japan and Taiwan. The event has drawn in visitor numbers of up to 150,000 in previous years, and the festival includes various booths related to Taiwanese culture, gastronomy, tourism, and more. Attendees can enjoy live music and dance performances, taste test foodie favorites like xiao long bao (soup dumplings) and bubble tea, and purchase a variety of different Taiwanese souvenirs. Admission to the event itself is free, but do bring some yen if you plan on grabbing a bite to eat or picking up some souvenirs.

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.

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.
