
Suwa Onbashira Festival
Japan's most dangerous festival — several participants don't make it back home...
Japan's most dangerous festival — several participants don't make it back home...
Celebrated to mark the end of winter and the day before spring begins on the old lunar calendar, Setsubun is an age-old Japanese ceremony thought to drive evil spirits from the house. Many people …
The Nozawa Fire Festival is one of the three greatest fire festivals in Japan and a must-see event which takes place at Baba-no-hara, Nozawa Onsen Village on the 15th of January every year. After …
The Dontosai Festival, known as the Matsutaki Festival for Osaki Hachimangu Shrine, is a fiery New Year festival unique to Miyagi. What happens? Every year on January 14, festival goers burn …
The Maebashi Hatsuichi (meaning first market) Festival is an explosive way to start the year. The highway nearby is closed to cars and stalls are set up, ready to sell lucky trinkets and festival …
This festival in Nara prefecture traces its origin back to the 12th century. The name comes from the Wakamiya Shrine – a shrine within the ground of the larger Kasuga Taisha Shrine. This …
The Kōrankei Gorge is home to around 4,000 color-changing maples. This year there will be illuminations from sundown until 9 p.m. throughout November as part of the annual autumn festival. There …
The Tokushima Yokai (monster) Matsuri is a unique event that takes place at Kamimyo Elementary School near the somewhat remote Hiraga Shrine in Miyoshi, Tokushima Prefecture – a town that …
The Tochigi Autumn Festival is a three day traditional festival that usually takes place in Tochigi City, Tochigi Prefecture in even-numbered years. 2020’s event was cancelled so the 2022 …
Taking place in Ishigaski City at Shinei Park on the island of Ishigaki, this local festival encompasses a wide range of performances and attractions. Among the many related events are a bench …
This civic festival has been held annually in Ube City on the shores of the Seto Inland Sea since 1933. The festival features parades, a main stage, a street stage, a gourmet zone and a business …
This is the main festival for Karatsu Shrine — a shrine with over 400 years of history and one of Saga Prefectures most popular festivals. The feature of this festival is the giant …
The Miyazakijingu Taisai (Miyazaki Shrine Grand Festival) is a traditional festival at one of Miyazaki’s major Shinto shrines with a history of more than 140 years. Colloquially known as …
Bonfires, torches, shrines and gods are all out in the streets for this vibrant Kyoto festival. Taking place in Kurama, a small village north of Kyoto proper, the Kurama no Hi Matsuri is a …
Update: For 2022, you will need to pre-register to join in the tug-of-war. Every year on the Sunday before National Sports Day in Naha, Okinawa, a Tug-of-War event is held, attracting thousands …
The Paantu festival takes place on the Okinawa Prefecture island of Miyakojima in the far south of the archipelego. What happens and when is it? The villagers dress up as ‘Paantu’ …
Kyoryuchi is the shortened name for the Nagasaki Foreign Settlement in Oura – an area that dates from the late 1850s, when “treaty settlements” near a number of port cities in …
This festival is is held in the city of Kishiwada, Osaka prefecture and is renowned as one of Osaka’s rowdiest. Danjiri are large, heavy wheeled carts that resemble small temples. The …
This festival at the beautiful Kiyomizu temple features a colorful dance/procession through the neighbourhood of the “Blue Dragon” (it’s a green dragon, but green is often …
In 2022, the beer garden will reduce its seating to about half its usual capacity and the Hokkaido Bon Odori has been canceled. The Sapporo Summer Festival (Sapporo Natsu Matsuri) is an umbrella …