Cheapo June Events in Japan

Summertime is the best time for festivals in Japan. Outdoors, high-energy, great food and free—what more could a cheapo ask for?

Cheapo June Events in Japan

Hiroshima Toukasan Matsuri – Hiroshima (June 3-5): This is a 3-day yukata (colorful summer kimono) festival marking the start to summer. Nearly half a million festival-goers visit the Enryu-ji Temple for blessings and stick around for traditional entertainment, like taiko drumming and choreographed dance performances.k

Kashima Gatalympics – Saga (June 5): The Gatalympics is one of Japan’s messier festivals with mud-centric events, including sumo and racing—all with the intent of having fun, destressing and getting covered in mud.

Kyushu Beer Festival – Kagoshima (until June 5): Local craft beer festival with free entry and 500-yen beer.

Chagu Chagu Umakko – Iwate (June 11): A horse festival in Iwate Prefecture elaborately costumed horses are ridden and led from Onikoshi Sozen Shrine in Takizawa to Morioka Hachimangu Shrine.

Yosakoi Soran Festival – Hokkaido (June 8-12): Yosakoi is a team dance event, where participants perform high-energy choreographed routines. These types of dance festivals have become a summertime staple in Japan.

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Jibiiru (Craft Beer) Festival – Akita (June 17-19): Another craft beer festival, and this time in Tohoku’s Akita City, featuring brewers from the northern part of Honshu. The festival is held alongside the Tohoku Meat Festival.

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Himeji Yukata Festival – Hyogo (June 22-24): If you want to attend this festival, you’ll want to show up wearing a yukata, not only because everyone else is , but also it’ll get you some discounts at the 700 food and drink stalls. There’s even free entry to the zoo, museum and Himeji Castle.

Izawanomiya Otaue Festival – Mie (June 24): This festival—an officially recognized intangible cultural asset—is made up of Shinto rituals to ensure a good rice harvest. One such ritual involves teams of men racing down a muddy hill to be the first to grab set up bamboo poles.

Aizen Festival – Osaka (June 30-July 2): This festival is known as the Osaka’s first major summer festival of the year. One of the main attractions is the Hoekago Parade on June 30th where a beautiful young woman is carried aloft in a basket. “Hoekago” literally means “blessed treasure basket”. The parade participants chant “ho-e-ka-go” during the procession.