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.

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

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Morioka's Sansa Odori
2022-08-01 18:00 - 2022-08-04 21:00
The festival is one of the top five festivals of the Tohoku (northeastern Japan) region–and it is easy to see why. The main event is the massive parade of over three thousand drummers, representing taiko groups created by schools, companies, organizations, and the over twenty taiko groups which call Morioka home. The number of so many drummers playing at once is a world record. Lines of performers are only separated by the occasional parade float or banner introducing what’s next. Most groups wear their own choice of colorful and stylish traditional wear, but a decent number made the festival even more festive with anime and video game character costumes, dressing as dalmatians (2014), or mixing some random fun. Even those not in the parade are still able to participate. At one moment during the festival, a float comes with instructors encouraging everyone to step into the street and dance together. Otherwise, a giant circle dance party after the parade is a Sansa Odori tradition. Special performances, lessons, and related events take place in front of JR Morioka Station and community halls around town during the four-day festival. Japanese and English event schedules, as well as volunteer staff, are on hand to assist. As a festival, Sansa Odori is just a few decades in the making, but from a historical perspective, it is inseparable from the city. Centuries ago there used to be a horrible demon that tormented the local people. The people prayed to the deity of Mitsuishi Shrine for help. The deity heard their cries and captured the demon. The people celebrate this feat with music and dance which has been carefully passed down from the Nanbu clan. The Sansa Odori dance is complex and dynamic in movement. It is visually and audibly a very entertaining festival in an exciting city with much to keep you busy for several days. The dance has been designated one of Morioka’s Intangible Cultural Properties. Definitely worth a special trip, the Sansa Odori Festival is not to be missed! Past festival report

Culture
Morioka Sansa Odori
The largest drum parade in Japan

Lake Yamanaka Fireworks Festival
2022-08-01 20:00 - 21:00
The Japanese word for firework is Hanabi. Hana means ‘flower’ and bi means ‘fire’. On the 1st of August, I went to see flowers of fire blooming in the firework festival at Lake Yamanaka. Before the fireworks, I saw a beautiful sunset with Mount Fuji reflected in the lake. As the light faded, small torches made of drink cans were lit all along the lakeside. Barges carrying the fireworks were towed into the lake. Finally, the show began at 8 o’clock, and for a brief hour, huge fire flowers bloomed at four different points around the lake. In video

Hirakawa Neputa Festival
2022-08-02 - 2022-08-03
Hirakawa city in Aomori Prefecture hosts a Nebuta Festival at the beginning of August each year. While the Aomori City has the crowds, Hirosaki has the refined tradition and Goshogawara has towering floats, Hirakawa’s claim to fame is having Aomori’s (and the world’s) biggest Nebuta float at an imposing 12 meters in height.
The shape of the giant Neputa floats (in the south of Aomori they’re called Neputa, not Nebuta) is similar to that of those in neighboring Hirosaki.

Nagaoka Festival
2022-08-02 10:00 - 2022-08-03 21:00
What makes Japanese fireworks different from all the others around the world? For one, they reflect Japan’s culture. All have themes and the crowds really get into the mood. You see blue mats everywhere and special food tents wherever the people gather. After each set of fireworks, there is enthusiastic clapping and cheering. During the months of July and August, there is pretty much a Hanabi in every region of Japan almost weekly. I have attended the Yokohama fireworks twice and they were spectacular, but knowing the themes and stories really make them special. We arrived in Nagaoka mid-morning on 2 August and the festival was already in full swing. On the main street from the station, there were vendors selling all types of Hanabi souvenirs and of course food tents everywhere. Next, a parade was led off by the Nagaoka Fireman’s band followed by several children’s bands. We decided to walk to the river where our seats were reserved for the fireworks to see how long it would take and found out that both bridges would be closed to traffic after 7 p.m., with one of the bridges opening back up at 8:30, we knew would never make our 9:10 Bullet train back to Tokyo, especially from the other side of the river. We ended up purchasing two more tickets for the east side of the river near the Chousei Bridge, which still required a 30-minute walk to the station. Hundreds of people were already claiming space for the free sections and it was still 7 hours before the fireworks show. Back near the station, we watched an outstanding baton twirling performance, all types of dance shows, and then some floats. This consumed most of the afternoon and now it was impossible to find a place to sit down. Went over to the Aeon department store and found a coffee shop on the top floor that served some good food. By the time we finished our meal, it was overrun with people waiting to get a seat. At 5 p.m. we walked to our reserved spot for the fireworks. It had rained and we needed to wipe the blue mat before sitting down. For our reserved area I counted 50 mats holding approximately 60 people for a total of 3000. This area was just a dot compared to all the seating places along the river. The festival and fireworks began in 1946 to commemorate the victims of war and recently from the earthquake that hit Nagaoka in 2004. Nagaoka was 80 percent destroyed by the bombing on 1 August 1945. The people rallied together and rebuilt their city and in 1946 began the remembrance fireworks praying for those lost and for peace. Every year the Nagoaka fireworks are displayed in Hawaii in remembrance of American victims of war and our friendship. The Nagaoka Hanabi is in the top three in all of Japan. The crowds over two nights exceed a million spectators along a two-kilometer area of the Shinano River, the longest river in Japan. The display has nine themes over two hours. One is the Sho-Sanjakudama, two 36-inch diameter shells weighing 660 pounds illuminating a 2,132 feet long Niagara Falls. We were at ground level and it was difficult to take pictures of the falls. The highlight for us was the Phoenix Fireworks wishing for a complete recovery from the earthquake disaster. The Phoenix-shaped fireworks span over 1.7 miles in a straight line. We had to leave about 45 minutes early in order to catch our train. Even as we pulled out of the station we could still see the fireworks high in the sky. This festival is held for three days every 1-3 August. It begins with a lantern floating ceremony on the Kaki River to remember and comfort the souls of the bombing victims. Every day is filled with festivities topped off on 2 and 3 August with the fireworks. There is an information center at the station with English brochures. You can take the bullet train from Tokyo for a 90-minute ride. We plan to go again and this time will stay overnight in the city so we can see the entire program.

Akita Kanto Festival
2022-08-03 - 2022-08-06
Kanto (not related to the region of the same name) are poles that are approximately 15 meters long from which hang 46 lanterns – intended to resemble bags of rice.
Weighing up to 50kg, the festival performers balance these poles on their forehead or lower backs while walking the parade route. They are accompanied by bands of bamboo flute players and are urged on by the spectators.
As you can probably imagine, balancing a 15-meter-long pole that weighs 50kg while walking is quite a feat – especially if there is a breeze!
Pro tip: Book your accommodation, together with a viewing seat, in advance.

Tsushima no Miya Festival
2022-08-03 13:00 - 2022-08-05 22:00
There is an island, a shrine, and a station that is only open for a short festival each year. For two days this shrine, and the tiny Tsu island on which it sits, see around 10,000 people come and go. They come for the shrine and the summer festival. The bridge to the shrine opens early and closes late, and people come in droves throughout the day. Most people are families with children, who are brought to be blessed by the priests. Many charms are for sale as well. Back across the bridge on the mainland, the streets are lined with colorful stalls serving all the local favorite festival foods. There are games and drinks as well, and on the night of the fourth, there is a great big firework show. The station, 津島ノ宮駅 (つしまのみやえき), is also famous for train otaku fans who love to take pictures and save their tickets for their collections.

Goshogawara Tachi-Neputa Festival
2022-08-04 - 2022-08-08
Goshogawara hosts the third of the famous Nebuta festivals in Aomori. The others are Aomori Nebuta in Aomori City and Hirosaki Neputa.
‘Tachineputa’ means ‘vertical Nebuta’, so called because Goshogawara’s Nebuta floats are very tall – some as tall as a three-story building.
The Goshogawara festival starts later than both the Aomori City Nebuta and Hirosaki Neputa and finishes one day later.

Goshogawara's Tachineputa Matsuri
2022-08-04 19:00 - 2022-08-08 21:00
Aomori prefecture may be best known for being Japan’s largest apple producer, but once a year, the streets come alive in the Nebuta Festival in Aomori City. Lesser known, but perhaps more impressive and memorable is the Tachineputa Festival in nearby Goshogawara. From a tourist’s perspective, this festival is great because it is less crowded and just as exciting. Since Goshogawara is just an hour’s drive away, it is easy to plan a trip to see both of these versions of Nebuta since the festivals occur during the same week. Size really does matter in “Tachineputa.” The word “tachi” means standing in Japanese, but these floats don’t just stand, they tower above crowds and move! Standing an average of 20 meters into the air (yes, 20 meters!), you can often see the tops of the floats peaking above low-lying buildings before they turn a corner in the parade route. Designs tend to focus on deities, demons, and Japanese folklore. Although you can come early in the afternoon to get a glimpse of the floats, the parade itself is at night. This means all the floats are glowing from the inside, bringing a festive mood wherever they wander. Since the floats are so tall and the parade route is long, you are guaranteed to get a great view almost anywhere along the street. But you’ll have to look down, not up, to see how these beasts on wheels actually move. Sticking with tradition, floats are pulled and pushed throughout the weeklong festival. Dozens of human handlers pull ropes attached to the front end of the float, while the strongest members of each float are often stuck pushing and steering the floats from behind. This is no easy task. The floats weigh several tons or more. Oh, and did I mention the streets are incredibly narrow and lined with power lines? I recommend trying to find a corner along the parade route. From there you can see the precarious push, pull, and pivot motions teams need to perform in order to turn the floats. It gives you more time to take pictures and really see the fine detail and hard work that goes into each float. To keep floats in rhythm and to add to the festive nature, massive carts of drummers and dancers fill the gaps between the tachineputa. Reaching Goshogawara to see the Tachineputa Festival is easy. It’s an hour’s drive from Aomori, and the event is just a five-minute walk from Goshogawara station. From Tokyo, the travel time between bullet train and local train can take up to five hours, but it is definitely a must-see if you’re in Japan during August. Local hotels are undoubtedly filled weeks or months prior to the event, but hotels just twenty to thirty minutes away can still have vacancies, so keep a lookout.

Nara Tokae
2022-08-05 - 2022-08-14
A ten-day event taking place in Nara, the Tokae sees thousands of candles placed in varying displays and patterns. The shapes include rivers, deer, and hearts and some lanterns are used to illuminate the structures of the area. They have recently improved the eco-friendly status of the event, switching from paraffin candles to natural versions – partly for the environment and partly to protect curious deer. The opening ceremony will take place from 6.45 pm – 7 pm beside the pond on the East side of the Ukumo Garden. There will be music performed by local artists throughout the event and there will be pop-up cafes and entertainment too.

Hinokuni Festival
2022-08-05 - 2022-08-07
The Hinokuni Matsuri is a festival that takes place in early August predominantly in and around Sunroad Shinshigai (a covered arcade) in Kumamoto City.
The festival will feature various dance troupes and competitions as well as a “Natsu Machi Yokocho” (summer town drinking alley).

Sendai Tanabata Fireworks Festival
2022-08-05 19:30 - 20:30
The Sendai Tanabata Fireworks Display is a popular tradition with local residents and tourists alike. Approximately 16,000 fireworks are set off from the shores of the Hirose River which flows through central Sendai. The area is easily accessed via Hirosedori or Kotodaikoen subway station and is a 10-minute walk. Or take a leisurely 30-minute stroll through the shopping arcades from JR Sendai Station. The most popular spot for viewing (if you can fight off the crowds!) is Nishi Koen (West Park). The fireworks show is a medium-sized display that is complimented by festival stalls frequented by couples and friends wandering about in yukata (cotton kimono).

Hiroshima Toro Nagashi
2022-08-06
Each year, on August 6th, candle-lit lanterns are set afloat on the Motoyasu River next to Hiroshima’s A-Bomb Dome in remembrance of deceased ancestors and as a wish for world peace.
The lanterns are on sale from 6 am with the lanterns released by hand in the evening in the vicinity of the A-Bomb Dome and Motoyasu Bridge. Organizers warn that due to big crowds, you may have to wait a little while to set your lantern afloat.

Sendai Tanabata
2022-08-06 - 2022-08-08
Tanabata – literally meaning the ‘7th evening’ is a festival celebrated on different dates throughout Japan. The Sendai version, touted as one of the three major summer festivals in the Tohoku region, is the most famous of them all. It’s so famous that it has become synonymous with Sendai itself.
The festival takes place from the 6th to the 8th of August. Encompassing the whole city of Sendai, neighborhoods hang colorful decorations paper decorations including handwritten strips of paper containing wishes of good fortune, paper kimonos, paper cranes, paper nets, and streamers.
The last night of the festival sees a major fireworks festival with 16,000 fireworks and 500,000 spectators making it the most popular in the Tohoku region.
Sendai Tanabata attracts 2 million visitors each year, so if you’re traveling to Sendai, you should make sure you have our accommodation arranged in advance.

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony
2022-08-06 08:00 - 09:00
August 6th is a significant day for anyone in Hiroshima. Although most businesses run, as usual, school children are called into school for “peace education” and many locals and tourists gather in the central Peace Park to reflect on lives lost and hope for a peaceful future. At the Peace Park, the main memorial is held in the morning and the lantern floating ceremony starts once it gets dark. The Peace Memorial Ceremony starts at 8:15 am each year in memory of the victims of the atomic bomb, which was dropped above Hiroshima at that time on August 6, 1945. At the start of the ceremony, the park’s Peace Bell is rung and sirens sound across the city. Despite the park being completely packed with people, everyone stands perfectly still to observe a minute’s silence, allowing you to really feel the power of this moment. On this occasion, there are usually a few political speeches and testimony by those who lived through the event as well as those who lost loved ones. There are also short speeches by children growing up in Hiroshima about their hopes for a peaceful future. The ceremony also includes a release of 1,000 doves (after the Mayor’s Speech) and the end of the ceremony is marked by a 450-member chorus and wind ensemble performing the “Hiroshima Peace Song”. The Mayor of Hiroshima usually makes an appeal for the abolition of nuclear weapons and the achievement of everlasting world peace. The Japanese Prime Minister will also attend, as well as the Secretary General of the United Nations. The ceremony is usually broadcast on television stations throughout Japan and appears on news programs worldwide. A great number of residents of all ages gather for the ceremony from around 7 am. The stage for the speeches is set up in front of the main memorial monument steps with the eternal flame as a backdrop. This area is easily accessed from the main Heiwa-Odori (Peace Boulevard), many people stand under the Peace Memorial Park Museum, or in the shady areas around the park as there are many satellite televisions set up in different areas for people to watch the proceedings. Most attendees stand or sit and listen in silence during the speeches, many dressed in handmade anti-war or pro-peace t-shirts. There are also many people holding origami cranes as they are Hiroshima’s symbol of peace, you will find them hung near many of the memorial statues in the park. Event Report, 2012 JJ Walsh You might expect to feel out of place during this somber ceremony, but actually, we have been many times and have only felt completely welcomed. There is an area at the back of the crowd, under the memorial museum where volunteers hand out free chilled towels and water to people at the ceremony. There are many people taking pictures of the event, but it’s polite to ask if you can take a picture of attendees, especially children. Even without Japanese, you could point to the camera and ask “Okay?” and that will get the message across. When we have been to the ceremony with our children, it is really touching how kind attendees will walk up to you and offer cranes, fans or other things they have that your kids may like. It is not traumatic for kids to be a part of, the whole event is quite positive. After the ceremony, there is usually a stir in the crowd as groups form to do peaceful protests through the streets. In 2011, there was a large protest parade down the main covered malls and along the streets to the Hiroshima city hall against nuclear power as well as nuclear weapons. There was also a right-wing protest parade. A good position to watch the parades from the St.Marc cafe (with outdoor seating) a few blocks from the park in the covered mall. In the evening, there is a lantern festival where over 10,000 lanterns are put into the water next to the A-bomb memorial and across the river from the steps in front of the information center. The evening activities are less formal, there are no long speeches, but it is a very powerful experience. As the light from the dome shines down on the water lit by the many colorful lanterns floating downstream. There are also candles decorated by children lit and displayed all the way around the Atomic Bomb Memorial Dome. You can decorate a candle if you would like for a small donation near the A-bomb Dome. Videos about Hiroshima day: August 6, 2011, Hiroshima Day: music video compilation Anti-war, Anti-nuclear power, Anti-nuclear weapons protest parade (8/6/2011) August 6, 2008, Hiroshima Day: sights and sounds

Summer Festival in Honmoku, Yokohama
2022-08-06 10:00 - 2022-08-07 12:00 | 19 Honmoku Wada, Naka-ku, Yokohama, 231-0827, Japan, 19 Honmoku Wada, Naka-ku, Yokohama, 231-0827, Japan, Naka, Yokohama, 231-0827, Japan
Every year, in Honmoku, Yokohama, the Ouma Nagashi event is held during summer. Ouma is a figure with the head of a horse and a turtle-like body made of straw. Every year six pieces of Ouma are made for the event, which is dedicated to the Honmoku Shinto shrine. They are brought to the shrine by men in formal kimonos in the early morning of the day before the event. After they stay in the shrine overnight, they are carried throughout the town of Honmoku in the morning. Then they are sent about 5km offshore by boats from the Honmoku fishing port and thrown into the sea. The event is believed to take evil out of the town by throwing the figures into the sea. It is a kind of purification ritual. It has been practiced for nearly 450 years since the medieval era when feudal warlords fought each other to survive. Originally the figures were sent offshore by six wooden boats before the 1950s. Until last year, fishing motorboats had been used to bring the Ouma figures offshore. Last year the wooden boats came back for the first time in 50 years after being repaired thanks to donations by local residents and businesses. Beautiful beaches existed on the shores of Honmoku only 50 years ago.
Honmoku was a fishing village, where villagers produced seaweed and farmed fish. Among them werre anago sea eels and shako shrimp. They are essential ingredients of “Edo style sushi”. The beaches were reclaimed to expand the port facilities in the 1960s. Still, some fishermen continue to fish off Honmoku from this fishing port. Now we seldom have an occasion to enjoy the smell of the sea close by even though we are living in Honmoku, which used to be famous for its beautiful beaches. On the day of Ouma Nagashi ritual, six portable shrines, carried by men and women of all ages get together from six areas of Honmoku near MYCAL Honmoku to show off their high spirits in their own local matsuri festival costumes. That is the moment when Honmoku streets come alive with their cheerful calls, and everyone forgets the scorching heat of high summer. And it is an occasion for us to feel and smell the history of the town. Ouma figures are brought into the Shrine: at 10:00. Ouma figures leave the Shrine: at 08:00. This event is held yearly at the beginning of August, so if you miss it this year, be sure to visit the next chance you get. Check the website (Japanese) for details.

Takabocchi Kogen Horse Race
2022-08-07
This is a horse race that takes place in Shiojiri City on the grassy Takabocchi Plateau. With around 80 competitors from throughout Japan, organizers claim that it is the highest altitude horse race to take place in Japan.
Apart from the main race, there are pony rides for the kids and lots of other horsey activities.
There are free shuttle buses leaving every 15 to 30 minutes from the east exit of Shiojiri Station that run to the event venue. The ride from the station takes about one hour.

SEE LV Exhibition
2022-08-08 11:00 - 2022-08-21 20:00
When it comes to big names in the fashion world, Louis Vuitton is right up there at the top. An exhibition running in Tokyo celebrates LV’s 160-year history, and it has already delighted visitors in Wuhan (2020), Hangzhou (2021), and Dubai (2022). SEE LV showcases ready-to-wear items from the luxury fashion house throughout the decades, examples of their most iconic bags including the Steamer, Speedy, Noé, and Twist designs, and even an interactive exhibition room where you can explore the famous LV monograms in a digital art format.
Photo: Louis Vuitton Japan Co., Ltd.
Admission to the event itself is free, but advance reservations do need to be made via the LINE app.

Yosakoi Festival
2022-08-10 10:00 - 2022-08-11 22:00
Summer is prime time for big festivals in Japan, and Kochi City is no exception. The highlight of the local year is a three-day dance/parade extravaganza in August, called ‘Yosakoi’. What the word means exactly is open to interpretation, but the general sense is ‘let the good times roll, and there’s a strong hint of, um, nocturnal naughtiness to it. During the Japanese holiday, obon, over 10,000 dancers in many dozens of teams throng the main streets and thoroughfares, beating time with small wooden clappers called naruko. The costumes are colorful and fantastic, and a highlight is the decorated trucks that head up each team, staffed by hard-core carnival party animals and blasting out music from their huge speakers. Every team is free to arrange its own style of music from Japanese ballad to big-Afro funk, but it must include at least part of the festival’s official song, the “Yosakoi Naruko Dance”. Things wind up with a grand parade down Otesuji-Dori Avenue and a huge fireworks display, lasting 90 minutes. Especially good dancers proudly wear ribands awarded by the judges, and there’s an overall winning team each year. Teams are organized by companies, businesses, and localities, and a lot of them are put together by izakaya – informal pub/restaurants, that Kochi City center is packed with. A festival is really a way for a town to bare its soul and show the world what it’s made of. I’m always impressed by the way Yosakoi displays the quintessential character of Kochi City – it’s loud, gaudy, cheerful, ever-changing, and irreverent, with the women of the town definitely front and center. Dancers come in all skill levels and ages, and they’re free to change teams every year if they choose. In addition, dancing styles are not predetermined, and the serious teams spend most of the year choreographing and practicing the next year’s dance routine. This kind of free-and-easy style might be frowned upon in other Japanese cities, but Kochi (as always) gives a broad grin and goes its own way. You’ll never see the same Yosakoi twice, and you’ll definitely never see a dull one. Let the good times roll!
