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.
The Gion Matsuri (Gion Festival) is a month-long festival that takes place in Kyoto in July each year. The name comes from the neighborhood of Gion, which is home to some of the more traditional parts of Kyoto—including the geisha […]
The Sumiyoshi Matsuri (festival) happens over three days in and around Osaka’s Sumiyoshi Taisha shrine. The highlight is the nagoshi harai shinji ritual which happens on the middle day. The ritual involves participants (women and children) processioning through a straw […]
The Nagaoka Festival is held from August 1st to August 3rd around the Shinano River in Nagaoka City. Its main attractions are the portable shrine float parades and folk dance processions during the day with large-scale fireworks displays in the […]
The home of Mikawa fireworks, this is one of the biggest displays in Aichi, with spots by the river reserved a day in advance by many. With a history dating back to the Edo period, the festival uses 70% locally […]
