
Zao Snow Monster Festival
While most snow festivals feature man-made sculptures, the snow monsters of Zao are entirely natural. Created in rare …
While most snow festivals feature man-made sculptures, the snow monsters of Zao are entirely natural. Created in rare …
Celebrated to mark the end of winter and the day before spring begins, setsubun is an age-old Japanese ceremony thought …
One of the many traditional Setsubun festivals taking place across Japan, this one is unusual in that it features Geiko …
One of the best-known Setsubun festivals in Kyoto, this is a great place to drive away those evil spirits and welcome in …
Officially called the Noboribetsu Onsen Hot Water Festival (Noboribetsu onsen yu matsuri), this unique festival takes …
An amazing chance to see a remote, snow-covered thatched village illuminated with hundreds of lanterns.
Hakodate has a special connection to Russia. In the wild west frontier days of the Meiji period, Russia had a …
Hiroshima Prefecture is famed throughout Japan for its oyster industry, so Miyajima (Itsukushima) with its strong …
Tadami is a tiny town in the rugged mountainous region in the western part of Fukushima Prefecture that is known mainly …
Nagasaki is a city so soaked in the history of Japan and the West that you can hardly turn a corner without stepping …
Held every year on February 10th, this local festival sees dozens of large paper balloons set off into the night sky. …
This unique festival (かせ鳥 in Japanese) gets its name from straw coats worn by the participants. …
Notice of event cancelation All in-person activities as part of the 2021 Sapporo Snow Festival have been canceled …
With ice floes and drift ice in the winter seas around Abashiri in the far north of Hokkaido, it gets very, very cold …
One of Tohoku‘s biggest snow festivals, the Iwate snow festival showcases structures and statues crafted by over …
Timed to coincide with Sapporo’s giant winter festival, Otaru’s Light Snow Path (Otaru Yuki Akari no …
Making the best of the truckloads of snow that cover Hirosaki each winter, the Hirosaki Castle Snow Lantern Festival …
A kamakura is a hollow carved out from a mound of snow. This festival, in Yokote City, Akita, usually features more than …
As you may have ascertained from the accompanying image, this is another one of Japan’s renowned …
A small, local festival held to celebrate the girls who sacrificed themselves to save the village from the disasters of …
Kobe is home to one of only a few “China towns” in Japan. As such, it’s no surprise that the Chinese …
A 300 year old fire festival with moving stages and live performances
A fantastic opportunity to see one of Kyoto’s most beautiful temples, with stunning plum blossom, tea ceremonies …
Featuring more than 15,000 lanterns, the festival originally started as a more simple Chinese New Year celebration. In …