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Festivals & Events


Festivals by map

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January February March April May June July August September October 
November December Traditional Events National Holidays
  January
Date Name Destination
3rd
Tamaseseri (Ball-Catching Festival) Tamaseseri (Ball-Catching Festival)
 Fukuoka
6th
Dezome-shiki (New Year’s Parade of Firemen) Dezome-shiki (New Year’s Parade of Firemen)
 Tokyo
7th
Usokae (Bullfinch Exchange) Usokae (Bullfinch Exchange)
 Fukuoka
9th~11th
Toka Ebisu Toka Ebisu
 Osaka
Second Sunday
Yamayaki (Grass Burning on Mt. Wakakusayama) Yamayaki (Grass Burning on Mt. Wakakusayama)
 Nara
The Sunday closest to January 15th
Toshiya (Archery Contest) at Sanjusangen-do Temple Toh-shiya (Archery Contest) at Sanjusangen-do Temple
 Kyoto
17th
Bonden-sai (Bonden Festival) Bonden-sai (Bonden Festival)
 Akita
  February
Date Name Destination
For 7 days, starting in the second week
Sapporo Snow Festival Sapporo Snow Festival
 Hokkaido
3rd
Setsubun Mantoro (Lantern Festival) Setsubun Mantoro (Lantern Festival)
 Nara
15th & 16th
Kamakura Snow Festival, Yokote Kamakura Snow Festival, Yokote
 Akita
Third Saturday
Saidai-ji Eyo Hadaka Matsuri (Naked Festival at Saidai-ji Temple) Saidai-ji Eyo Hadaka Matsuri
(Naked Festival at Saidai-ji Temple)
 Okayama
17th~20th
Hachinohe Enburi Hachinohe Enburi
 Aomori
  March
Date Name Destination
1st~14th
Omizutori (Water-Drawing Festival) Omizutori (Water-Drawing Festival)
 Nara
Weekend in mid-March
Sagicho Matsuri (Sagicho Festival) Sagicho Matsuri (Sagicho Festival)
 Shiga
Weekend in mid-March
Dai Himonjiyaki at Aso Fire Festival Dai Himonjiyaki at Aso Fire Festival
 Kumamoto
  April
Date Name Destination
Second Sunday ~ Third Sunday
Kamakura Festival Kamakura Festival
 Kanagawa
14th & 15th
Takayama Festival Takayama Festival
 Gifu
16th & 17th
Yayoi Festival Yayoi Festival
 Tochigi
  May
Date Name Destination
3rd & 4th
Hakata Dontaku Festival Hakata Dontaku Festival
 Fukuoka
3rd & 4th
Takoage-Gassen (Kite-Fighting Contest) Takoage-Gassen (Kite-Fighting Contest)
 Shizuoka
11th & 12th
Takigi O-Noh (Bonfire Noh performance) Takigi O-Noh (Bonfire Noh performance)
 Nara
11th ~ October 15th
Ukai (Cormorant Fishing) Ukai (Cormorant Fishing)
 Gifu
The Saturday and Sunday closest
to May 15th
Kanda Matsuri Kanda Matsuri
 Tokyo
15th
Aoi Matsuri (Hollyhock Festival) Aoi Matsuri (Hollyhock Festival)
 Kyoto
17th & 18th
Shunki Reitaisai (Grand Festival of Spring), Nikko Shunki Reitaisai (Grand Festival of Spring), Nikko
 Tochigi
Third Sunday and preceding Friday and Saturday
Asakusa Sanja Matsuri Asakusa Sanja Matsuri
 Tokyo
Third Sunday
Mifune Matsuri Mifune Matsuri
 Kyoto
  June
Date Name Destination
1st & 2nd
Takigi Noh (Bonfire Noh performance), Kyoto Takigi Noh (Bonfire Noh performance), Kyoto
 Kyoto
14th
Otaue Rice Planting Festival Otaue Rice Planting Festival
 Osaka
Second Saturday
Chagu Chagu Umako Horse Festival Chagu Chagu Umako Horse Festival
 Iwate
10th~16th
Sanno Matsuri Sanno Matsuri
 Tokyo
  July
Date Name Destination
1st~15th
Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival
 Fukuoka
14th
Nachi-no-Hi-Matsuri Nachi-no-Hi-Matsuri
 Wakayama
1st~29th
Gion Matsuri Gion Matsuri
 Kyoto
22nd~24th
Warei Taisai Festival & Uwajima Ushi-Oni Matsuril Warei Taisai Festival & Uwajima Ushi-Oni Matsuri
 Ehime
23rd~25th
Soma-Nomaoi (Wild Horse Racing) Soma-Nomaoi (Wild Horse Racing)
 Fukushima
24th & 25th
Tenjin Matsuri Festival Tenjin Matsuri Festival
 Osaka
Late July ~
Early August (June 17th according to the lunar calendar)
Miyajima Kangensai Festival Miyajima Kangensai Festival
 Hiroshima
Last Saturday (held in case of light rain but postponed if the weather is bad)
Sumida River Fireworks Display Sumida River Fireworks Display
 Tokyo
  August
Date Name Destination
[Aomori Nebuta Matsuri] : 2nd~7th
[Hirosaki Neputa Matsuri] : 1st~7th
Aomori Nebuta Matsuri and Hirosaki Neputa Matsuri Aomori Nebuta Matsuri and Hirosaki Neputa Matsuri
 Aomori
Mid-July ~ Early September
Gujo Odori Dance Performance Gujo Odori Dance Performance
 Gifu
3rd ~ 6th
Akita Kanto Matsuri Akita Kanto Matsuri
 Akita
6th
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony (The Memorial Ceremony for the Atomic Bomb Victims and the Peace Memorial Ceremony of Hiroshima City) Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony (The Memorial Ceremony for the Atomic Bomb Victims and the Peace Memorial Ceremony of Hiroshima City)
 Hiroshima
6th
Yamagata Hanagasa Matsuri Yamagata Hanagasa Matsuri
 Yamagata
6th~8th
Sendai Tanabata Matsuri (Star Festival) Sendai Tanabata Matsuri (Star Festival)
 Miyagi
12th~15th
Awa-Odori Folk Dance Festival in Tokushima Awa-Odori Folk Dance Festival in Tokushima
 Tokushima
15th & 16th
Yamaga Toro Matsuri (Yamaga Lantern Festival) Yamaga Toro Matsuri (Yamaga Lantern Festival)
 Kumamoto
16th
Daimonji Gozan Okuribi (Daimonji Bonfire) Daimonji Gozan Okuribi (Daimonji Bonfire)
 Kyoto
26th & 27th
Dai-Chochin Matsuri (Giant Lantern Festival) Dai-Chochin Matsuri (Giant Lantern Festival)
  Aichi
  September
Date Name Destination
1st~3rd
Owara Kaze-no-Bon Festival Owara Kaze-no-Bon Festival
  Toyama
14th~16th
Reitaisai Reitaisai
 Kanagawa
  October
Date Name Destination
7th~9th
Nagasaki Kunchi Festival Nagasaki Kunchi Festival
 Nagasaki
For three days in early October
Marimo Matsuri Marimo Matsuri
 Hokkaido
9th & 10th
Takayama Matsuri Autumn Festival Takayama Matsuri Autumn Festival
 Gifu
11th~13th
Ikegami Honmonji O-Eshiki Ikegami Honmonji O-Eshiki
 Tokyo
11th~13th
Nada no Kenka Matsuri (Nada Fighting Festival) Nada no Kenka Matsuri (Nada Fighting Festival)
 Hyogo
17th
Nikko Toshogu Shrine Shuki Taisai Grand Autumn Festival Nikko Toshogu Shrine Shuki Taisai Grand Autumn Festival
 Tochigi
22nd (postponed in case of rain)
Jidai Matsuri (Festival of the Ages) Jidai Matsuri (Festival of the Ages)
 Kyoto
22nd (postponed in case of rain)
Kurama no Hi-Matsuri (Kurama Fire Festival) Kurama no Hi-Matsuri (Kurama Fire Festival)
 Kyoto
  November
Date Name Destination
3rd
Hakone Daimyo Gyoretsu (Feudal Lord's Procession in Hakone) Hakone Daimyo Gyoretsu
(Feudal Lord's Procession in Hakone)
 Kanagawa
2nd~4th
Karatsu Kunchi Festival Karatsu Kunchi Festival
 Saga
The days of the Tori or Rooster in November (the date changes each year, so please check the Japanese calendar)
Tori-no-Ichi (Rake Fair) Tori-no-Ichi (Rake Fair)
 Tokyo
  December
Date Name Destination
2nd & 3rd
Chichibu Yomatsuri (Chichibu Night Festival) Chichibu Yomatsuri (Chichibu Night Festival)
 Saitama
13th & 14th
Gishi-sai Gishi-sai
 Tokyo
17th~19th
Hagoita-Ichi (Battledore Fair) Hagoita-Ichi (Battledore Fair)
 Tokyo
15th~18th
Kasuga Wakamiya On-Matsuri Kasuga Wakamiya On-Matsuri
 Nara
31st
Oga no Namahage (Oga Namahage Festival) Oga no Namahage (Oga Namahage Festival)
 Akita
31st
Okera-Mairi Festival Okera-Mairi Festival
 Kyoto

Traditional Events

  February
Date Name
3rd or 4th
Setsubun (Bean-Throwing Festival)
  March
Date Name
3rd
Hina-Matsuri (Doll Festival)
  April
Date Name
8th
Hana-Matsuri (Floral Festival)
  July
Date Name
7th
Tanabata(Star Festival)
13th-15th
O-Bon (Lantern Festival)
  November
Date Name
15th
Shichi-Go-San (Children's Shrine-Visiting Day)

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