The ultimate guide to Japan travel
A festival held at Daigan-ji on the island of Itsukushima/Miyajima in which priests and brave members of the public walk briskly across searing hot coals in bare feet. The ceremonies generally …
Watch the huge procession of the Ryukyu Kingdom in all its glory
The Nigohachi Festival (ni-go-hachi means two-five-eight) is an autumn festival that takes place in Higashiomi, Shiga Prefecture. The road is closed in front of the Higashiomi city office, with a …
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 city of Utsunomiya in Tochigi prefecture is renowned for its gyoza — the dumpling of Chinese origin that is a fixture of Japanese ramen restaurants. The festival takes place at …
The city of Utsunomiya in Tochigi prefecture is renowned for its gyoza — the dumpling of Chinese origin that is a fixture of Japanese ramen restaurants. The festival takes place at …
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 …
Get your koyo groove on with six weeks of awesome autumnal foliage and a shedload of great local deals in Karuizawa, Nagano. During the long-running festival the town goes all out to ensure that …
2022 sees the 20th anniversary of the Wasso Festival, so the Shitennoji Temple are doing things a bit differently this year. There will be two days of fun-filled activities to enjoy, as well as …
Back with the full line-up for the first time in three years! Experience Halloween like never before at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka. Make your way through a terrifying horror Maze, fight …
Kyoto’s Gion Odori is a performance by the geiko (geisha) and maiko (apprentice geisha) of the Gion Higashi district. It’s the only one of the annual odori events to take place in …
Celebrate the autumn leaves at this annual festival in one of the most beautiful spots of Kyoto. On the river around Togetsu Bridge, boats will parade through with elaborately dressed characters …
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 …
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 …
Okinawa is a crossroads of the seas. Over thirty different nationalities make Okinawa City their home, and the Okinawa International Carnival celebrates all of them. Previous years have seen …
The Mount Fuji (Mt. Fuji) Marathon is a great opportunity to see one of the most famous mountains in the world framed by the beauty of a Japanese autumn. Entry Entry usually starts early in June …
Held every November, this is the final of Japan’s six annual Sumo Tournaments, known as honbasho. With sumo rankings released a few weeks before, it’s a chance to see the traditional …
Held over the course of a week, the Kamiari Festival draws worshippers from across Japan, but the most important guests are the gods. Gathering to hold matchmaking discussions, the eight million …
To celebrate the changing of seasons, Kiyomizu-dera opens up in the evening three times a year (autumn, spring, and summer) and holds an illumination event to brighten up the foliage. The pagoda, …
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 …
Fukuoka Christmas Market is considered one of the biggest Christmas markets in Japan. There are a number of venues, so technically there is more than one market. In its 10th year, the miniature …
Christmas really does come early in Nagasaki. Even if only 2% of Japanese are Christians, they do the season so well that this is really worth checking out. As soon as Halloween ends, the whole …
