During your overseas trip, attending festivals is undoubtedly a great opportunity to immerse yourself in the unique traditions of the country or the local region. Japanese festivals, or “Matsuri (祭り)” are no exception. Especially in summer, when people in Japan are exhausted from the humid heat almost every day, the country gets even more heated and excited with various festivals held almost everywhere. Check out some popular ones we selected and make your summer the hottest ever this year!
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Why Are Japanese Summer Festivals So Special?
The word “Matsuri (祭り)”, meaning festivals in Japanese, originally comes from the word with the same sound “Matsuri（祀り）”, which is a ritual to worship deities or honor ancestors. In mid-August, many Japanese people take a 4-day period off not just for fun but to celebrate the Obon season, when the spirits of their ancestors and deceased relatives are believed to (briefly) return to the home. Around that time, many festivals and events are held using floats, lanterns and fireworks, and attendees enjoy “Bon dance” or “Bon Odori (盆踊り)” to show gratitude to their deities and ancestors.
See also: The 15 Best Things to Do in Japan 2023
Popular Summer Festivals in Japan
Aomori Nebuta Festival (Aomori)
©Tohoku Tourism Promotion Organization
Aomori Nebuta festival is one of the most popular summer festivals in Japan, being held on the 2nd – 7th of August every year. Attracting millions of local people and tourists from around the world, Aomori Nebuta festival is also known as one of the three major festivals in the Tohoku region, along with Sendai Tanabata Festival and Akita Kanto Festival.
During the six days of the festival, as many as 15 to 20 huge, colorful lanterns called “Nebuta” are paraded on floats called “Dashi (山車)” every day or night throughout the city. Decorated with warriors and characters from folk tales, Nebuta lanterns are surrounded by dancers called “Haneto (ハネト)”, who are dressed in a kimono-like costume and perform along with the musical accompaniment called “Hayashi (囃子)”.
（Image of “Haneto (ハネト) costume”）
As tourists, you can enjoy watching the huge lantern parades with wonderful dance and music performances on the street, but if you want to have a closer look, there are seats in the front rows which you can purchase in advance. Also, there’s a chance to show have your own performance as a “Haneto” if you apply for it online. You can buy or rent the costume, and be part of the huge, popular festival with the local people. With the beautiful fireworks on the last day, your summer will become one of the most memorable ones ever for you.
- Date: 8/2 – 8/7
- Access: 5-20 minute-walk from JR Aomori Station
- From Tokyo Station: Take “Hayabusa” Shinkansen to Shin-Aomori Station (about 3 hours and 30 minutes). Transfer to the Ouu Main Line and get off at JR Aomori Station.
- From Haneda Airport: Take a flight to Aomori Airport (1 hour and 15 minutes) then take a local bus to Aomori Station (35 minutes)
- Nebuta Festival Official Website
Gion Festival (Kyoto)
Gion Festival takes place every July at Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto. Dating back to the Heian period (794-1185), the historical and religious festival was originally held to appease the spirits of the dead and to prevent epidemics. Now the festival attracts about 1.8 million people from all over the world each year, being known as one of the biggest Japanese festivals.
The month-long festival peaks in the middle of the month (usually on the 17th and 24th), when the town gets filled with the elegant yet energetic sound of traditional Japanese instrument combinations including flutes, drums and gongs on the floats. The grand parade is known as “Yamahoko Junko(山鉾巡行)”. Each of the 34 luxuriously decorated floats are called “Yama(山)” and “Hoko(鉾)”, the heaviest of which reaches 12 tons with a height of 25 meters. The whole event, “Yamahoko Gyoji(山鉾行事)”, has been passed down for generations, and includes the effort of more than 180 people involved in the building and carrying each year, is registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.
- Date: 7/1 – 7/31
- Access: 5 minute-walk from Gion-Shijo Station on Keihan Line
- From Tokyo Station: Take Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen to Kyoto Station (about 2 hours and 15 minutes). Take the local bus to Yasaka Shrine (20 minutes).
- Yasaka Shrine Official Website
See also: 6 Top Japanese Travel Agencies for English-Speaking Tourists
Awa Odori (Tokushima)
Awa Odori is believed the most famous ‘obon’ dance festival in Japan with beautifully aligned dances and a musical parade. Although Awa Odori festival now takes place in many locations including Koenji (Tokyo) and Minami-Koshigaya (Saitama) as its unique dance style has become popular over the past 400 years, Awa Odori was first developed in Tokushima, in Shikoku. There are some different theories about its origin, but Awa Odori has always thrived and especially since the Second World War when the whole country sought a way to rebuild and re-energize society.
Gathering more than 1.3 million spectators and participants, Tokushima city turns into a huge stage during the festival. The main Awa dance groups are called “Ren (連)” and there are as many as 1,000 Ren groups performing on the long streets for the four days of the festival. Some of the Ren groups actually perform not only in the annual Awa Odori festival but in various dancing events all over the world. There are also players of traditional Japanese instruments called “Narimono (鳴り物)”, which include various sizes of drums, gongs, and flutes. Each Ren group wears their own color and design of their outfits called “Yukata (浴衣)” or “Happi (法被)” and dances in the duple-time rhythm made by the Narimono players.
As tourists, you also have a chance to dance as part of a non-professional Ren group called “Niwaka Ren (にわか連)”. There is no need for an application or a costume, and you can just go to the center plaza (the exact locations are announced before the event each year) and meet enthusiastic local dancers to perform together!
- Date: 8/12 – 8/15
- Access: 5-15 minute-walk from JR Tokushima Station
- From Haneda Airport: Take a flight to Takamatsu Airport (1 hour and 15 min) then take Uzushio Express from Takamatsu Station to Tokushima Station (1 hour and 10 minutes)
- Tokushima Prefecture Official Website
Hakata Gion Yamakasa
Hakata Gion Yamakasa, known as one of the most exciting festivals across the country, is held from July 1st to 15th and gathers about 3 million spectators every year. There are various stories of its origin, but Hakata Gion Yamakasa is believed to officially have begun in 1241 as a response to an epidemic in Hakata city.
The highlight of the festival is the race of one-ton floats carried by men in traditional outfits called “Happi (法被)” and “Fundoshi (褌)” through the local streets of Hakata. Despite the early hours (starting at 4:59am on July 15th), the spectator seats at Kushida Shrine, the starting point of the race, are full and the roads gets crowded with local residents and tourists wanting to watch the exciting “Oiyama (追い山)” race.
While the floats carried in the heated race are called “Kaki Yamakasa (舁き山笠)”, or “Kakiyama (舁き山)”, there are also floats called “Kazari Yamakasa (飾り山笠)” or “Kazariyama (飾り山)”, which are designed only to be displayed in the city during the festival. Some of the Kazariyama reach as high as 13 meters, and each side is decorated with gorgeous dolls made by Hakata’s signature doll makers. The front side is typically decorated with samurai dolls, whereas the back side is often decorated with the dolls of characters from fairy tales and TV cartoons. Although floats of the same design and size as Kazariyama were originally used in the race, the Kakiyama type was developed later for safety reasons, and are now mainly the ones used.
- Date: 7/1 – 7/15
- Access: 1 minute-walk from Kushida Shrine Station (To Kushida Shrine)
- From Haneda Airport: Take a flight to Fukuoka Airport (2 hours) then take Nanakuma Line from Hakata Station to Kushida Station (1 minute)
- Official Website: https://www.hakatayamakasa.com/
Sendai Tanabata Festival
Sendai Tanabata Festival is one of the three major festivals in the Tohoku region along with Aomori Nebuta Festival and Akita Kanto Festival. While ordinary Tanabata events take place on July 7th each year, the special Sendai Tanabata Festival is held in early August to celebrate not only the Tanabata legend but also Obon and the rice harvest at the same time. Thousands of gorgeously decorated bamboo branches are displayed in the center of Sendai city and attract more than 2 million people from across the country and around the world.
©Sendai Tanabata Festival Kyosankai
Each decoration looks unique and original, but there are actually called “Nanatsu Kazari (七つ飾り)”, meaning seven types of decoration items with different wishes and meanings. For example, “Tanzaku (短冊)” is a piece of paper on which people write their wish, while “Orizuru (折り鶴)” is a folded one with a wish for a long life and the well-being of one’s family. The decorations are made by individuals and local stores, and the organizer decides the best ones each year. Tourists can enjoy finding the seven types of items and guessing who is going to be the winner. During the three days it is held, there are also various events planned including a fireworks and night event at Sendai Castle (or Aoba Castle) so you can enjoy more of Sendai city and its history.
- Date: 8/6 – 8/8
- Access to Sendai Station
- From Tokyo Station: Take Akita Shinkansen (1 hour and 30 minutes)
- Sendai Tanabata Festival Official Website
See also: The 15 Best Things to Do in Japan 2023
Summary
We have introduced the five most popular summer festivals in Japan. We hope you enjoy the dance, music, fireworks and all the other unique features of “Matsuri” and make your summer trip unforgettable!
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