The historic town of Hita in Oita prefecture is venue for the Hita Gion Matsuri in late July. Gion festivals are held throughout Japan in July, but each brings a touch of local flavor with lavishly decorated floats and traditional music.
The Hita Gion is touted as one of the “top 3 Gion festivals in Kyushu”. How these rankings are made is a bit of a mystery, but if you’re in the area in late July it’s worth a look.
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 cultural event rather than a big […]
Dating back to 1650, this is one of Japan’s longest running fireworks festivals. With 18,000 fireworks and 400,000 spectators, it’s also one of the largest in western Japan. The fireworks will be launched from two different locations along the Chikugo […]
Want to see a slice of Japanese history? The Jidai Matsuri—”Festival of Ages”—is one of Kyoto‘s biggest October draws. It commemorates the founding of Kyoto as the Imperial capital by the Emperor Kammu in 794, so this is definitely one […]
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 Jinmu-sama, the festival features a “procession of the gods” on both […]
