The Yasukuni Shrine is notable for many things: its history, its purpose, and the intense political controversy surrounding it. For a few nights each summer, however, many people put aside their political stances and enjoy the wonderful Mitama Festival. "Mitama" […]
In the Tone River area, every summer in just a few towns acrobats performs a curious centuries-old ritual that is sure to astound locals and visitors alike. This is Tsukumai, a rite meant to invite rains to bless agriculture. Noda […]
Over 700 years old, noh theatre interspersed with the comic performances of kyogen, is the world's oldest theatre art. Enigmatically beautiful, both theatre styles maintain their appeal with a unique combination of cultural story, dance, music and costume. The National […]
Natsu Biraki Music Festival in Tokyo will be held at the Arena Tachikawa Tachihi in Tachikawa. Hugely popular, mid-July music event held over three days has grown immensely over the last decade. The festival features many of Japan's most engagingly […]
From Saturday, July 10th until Sunday, August 1st, Chiba's Sakura Furusato Square will host a Windmill Sunflower Garden event. Approximately 15,000 sunflowers will be in full bloom during the event dates, including the Vincent sunflower variety named after none other […]
Japan's most well-known summertime lavender fields are likely to be those at Furano in Hokkaido, but there are numerous other options to enjoy a sea of purple across the country. One such option is at Gunma's Tambara Lavender Park, which […]
The Miyagawacho Beer Garden is a rare occasion where you can enjoy beer, daily specialties served by neighboring restaurants, and Classical Japanese dance by the Maiko (apprentice geisha) of Miyagawacho Kabukai. Miyagawacho Kabukai is one of the five famous groups […]
The Kokura Gion festival is a frenzy of mid-summer community drumming in northern Kyushu and is held annually over three days from the third Friday through Sunday of July. Kokura Gion Festival Report In the middle of July, I took […]
Ever since Roast Battle Tokyo started, it's brought to the city's comedy fans a succession of riotous sold out shows, entertaining them as Tokyo's best comedians have traded body-blows with jokes as savage as they're hilarious. July 15th sees the […]
Walking the narrow streets of small town Akaoka at night with nothing illuminating the way but candlelight and paper lanterns strung up above, one instantly notices this is not your typical festival. Feeling a little more like Halloween, Ekin Festival […]
This year, Kansai beach town Shirahama is doing something different with its summer fireworks program. Instead of one big show, it’s doing six small shows on different Sundays throughout the season. Dates: July 17th, 24th, and 31st and August 7th, […]
The Kyoto of the area, Yamaguchi was modeled after the beautiful city and it’s no surprise it has a similar festival. When the Yasaka shrine was brought from Kyoto and the spirit of the deity implanted during the Kanjo ceremony, […]