Obon Posts

Some of Japan's best festivals take place in August -- and lucky for us, they're mostly free! This is one of the busiest months for events, with countless festivals featuring traditional dances, fireworks, and lantern-floating. The festivals are a great opportunity to wear your yukata, so dress up and enjoy an authentic summer in Japan. For events in Tokyo and the surrounding areas, visit our listings on Tokyo Cheapo. Kansai events These are events in Kyoto, Osaka, Hyōgo, Mie, and the surrounding areas. Lake Biwa Great Fireworks Festival Shiga One of Japan's biggest fireworks events, the Lake Biwa Great Fireworks Festival attracts over 300,000 visitors annually. The event features over 10,000 fireworks, synchronized with water jets to turn the natural surroundings into a pyrotechnic display for the senses. Pro tip: Some of the prime locations cost money to enter, but there are heaps of vantage points in the area near Otsu Port to catch the spectacle. The Hikone and Kita-Biwako Summer Fireworks Festival Shiga Near the other side of the massive lake, spread out your towel on Matsubara Swimming Beach and watch as over 2,500 rockets are launched over the water. You'll be close to Hikone Castle, and the fireworks will be launched from an area around 250 meters wide. Kyoto Gozan no Okuribi (Daimonji) Kyoto The locals call it Daimonji, a celebration during the height of the Obon festival where the city’s surrounding mountains are lit up with five bonfires. Three of the bonfires are lit in the form of kanji, while the other two are the shapes of a boat and a Shinto gate. Nara Daimonji Okuribi Nara See a similar event in Nara, with a giant 大 flaming on the mountainside. The Nara Daimonji Okuribi is to remember those who have died, and to pray for world peace. Summer Sonic Osaka Osaka The twin of Tokyo's music festival, Summer Sonic Osaka has most of the same acts -- just on different nights. Minami-Mido Osaka Bon Dance Osaka One of Osaka's biggest traditional summer Bon dance celebrations. Head to the historic Namba Betsuin Temple where the festival takes place over two days on August 27 and 28. Expect traditional dances and food and drink stalls. Festivities usually start around 6 p.m. Osaka Kansai Expo 2025 Fireworks Osaka The third round of Osaka Expo's fireworks events will take place on August 23. The events bring together some of the country's most renowned pyrotechnicians, with displays blending tradition and cutting-edge technology. Yatori no Shinji Festival Kyoto This is a high-intensity event at one of Japan’s most ancient Shinto shrines, tucked away on the northern side of central Kyoto. Witness 60 young men fight for one of only 50 lucky arrows. The festival takes place on August 6th every year, as this day traditionally marks the final day of summer (even if it doesn't feel like it). Kameoka Hozugawa River Fireworks Kyoto Kameoka Hozugawa River Fireworks is part of the annual peace festival and is known for its beautiful glowing food stalls as much as the fireworks. It takes place on the Hozu River, with plenty of free and paid viewing spots in local parks. Yoshinogawa Fireworks Festival Nara Taking place on the banks of the Yoshino River in the Shinmachi neighborhood of Gojo City, Yoshinogawa Fireworks is Nara Prefecture’s most popular fireworks festival. Not content with a mere 4,000 exploding projectiles, the organizers have added a laser light show and music to the mix. The one-hour show will finish with the launch of a spectacular “star mine” firework. Miyazu Tōrō Nagashi Fireworks Kyoto An excellent opportunity to explore the Amanohashidate area, this magical evening takes place in Shimasaki Park. 10,000 lanterns will be floated before a display of fireworks. You can see the traditional Miyazu Dance during the day, so we suggest you arrive for the full event. Kumano Fireworks Festival Mie The Kumano Fireworks is one of the biggest events in the Kansai Region. Over 10,000 rockets are launched into the skies above the sea from special boats. Since this means the chances of postponement due to bad weather are higher, you might want to be prepared to keep the fallback dates free too! Kanto events These are events just outside of Tokyo, including Tochigi, Ibaraki, and the surrounding areas. Kawaguchiko Lake Fireworks Festival Yamanashi Enjoy one of Yamanashi's largest and oldest fireworks festivals on the banks of Lake Kawaguchiko. There are several displays throughout the year, but this one is the biggest. Hokkaidō events Events happening on Japan's north island. Sapporo Summer Festival Hokkaidō The Sapporo Summer Festival covers a whole host of different festivities, including beer gardens, Bon Odori dances, and more. Make the best of the city in the warm summer months, before it gets chilly again in winter. Tōhoku events These are events in Aomori, Miyagi, and the surrounding areas. Aomori Nebuta Festival Aomori The Nebuta Festival, which Aomori is most famous for, takes place in towns and cities across the Tsugaru Plain during the week of August 2 to August 7. The main procession of the festival consists of large internally-lit floats depicting Kabuki scenes, which are wheeled around wildly from side to side. Akita Kanto Festival Akira Festival performers balance kanto (poles which are approximately 15 meters long and from which hang 46 lanterns) on their foreheads or lower backs while walking the parade route. They are accompanied by bands of bamboo flute players, and are urged on by the spectators. Sendai Tanabata Sendai Experience Sendai's most famous summer festival. Encompassing the whole city of Sendai, neighborhoods hang colorful paper decorations, including handwritten strips of paper containing wishes of good fortune, paper kimono, paper cranes, paper nets, and streamers. The last night of the festival sees a major fireworks festival with 16,000 fireworks and 500,000 spectators, making it the most popular in the Tōhoku region. Shakado River Fireworks Festival Fukushima Each year, 300,000 residents of Fukushima and beyond line the banks of the Shakado River in Sukagawa City for the prefecture's largest fireworks festival. Ōmagari Fireworks Festival Akita An incredible 760,000 spectators are expected for one of the Tōhoku region’s biggest fireworks festivals. This event is a national contest -- fireworks teams from throughout the country compete with each other to put on the best show. Hiroshima events These are events in Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, and the surrounding areas. Hiroshima Tōrō Nagashi Hiroshima In a service of remembrance for deceased ancestors, and as a wish for world peace, thousands of lanterns are set afloat on the Motoyasu River next to the A-bomb Dome. You can buy lanterns and release them in the evening, although it may take a while for your turn to come up. Chūbu events These are events in Nagano, Aichi, Fukui, Shizuoka, Yamanashi, and surrounding areas. World Cosplay Summit Aichi Love dress-up? The World Cosplay Summit sees the best cosplayers in the world give Nagoya a makeover. Attend the tournament or head to the streets to see characters of all kinds. Gujō Odori Dance Festival Gifu The Gujō Odori Festival is the largest dance party around. Lasting from July until September, this festival's main days are the all-night danceathons on four days in August. Earth Celebration Niigata Every year since 1988, the rich natural splendor of Sado has set the stage for Earth Celebration (EC), an international arts festival that seeks an alternative global culture through musical and cultural collaborations with artists from around the world. Domanaka Matsuri Nagoya The Nippon Domannaka Festival is the largest team dance festival in the Chūbu region of central Japan. Having started in 1999, the festival is open to a wide variety of dance styles and features teams from throughout Japan and also from overseas. The 23,000 performers attract an estimated audience of 1.85 million people. Gifu Nagara River Fireworks Festival Gifu What was once two festivals (Nagara River Chunichi Fireworks Festival and Nagaragawa National Fireworks Festival) held one week apart have -- perhaps sensibly -- joined forces to become the Gifu Nagara River Fireworks Festival. The Nagaoka Fireworks Festival Niigata The Nagaoka Festival is held around the Shinano River in Nagaoka City. Its main attractions are the portable shrine parades and folk-dance processions during the day -- with large-scale fireworks displays in the evening on both days. Lake Suwa Fireworks Festival Nagano An incredible 40,000 fireworks go up in smoke at this mid-summer fireworks festival. The main viewing area is in Suwa City, which is easily reached from Matsumoto -- prepare for crowds and plan your route home in advance. Shikoku events Events happening on Shikoku island. Tokushima Awa Odori Festival Tokushima The Tokushima Awa Odori is rated by many as Japan’s top summer festival. The festival was originally renowned as a raucous and drunken event, and over the years, a distinctive dance style emerged. Large groups participate in choreographed dance throughout the streets (which can be viewed for free) and at seven stages with reserved seating. Kyūshū & Okinawa events Events happening on the islands of Kyūshū and Okinawa. The Hinokuni Festival Kumamoto The festival will feature various dance troupes and competitions, as well as a “Natsu Machi Yokocho” (summer town drinking alley). The Chikugogawa Fireworks Festival Fukuoka 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. Kanmon Straights Fireworks Festival Fukuoka and Yamaguchi More than 1 million people on both sides of the strait are expected to watch the almost hour-long show, in which 15,000 projectiles will be hurled into the night sky. Shoro Nagashi Lantern Floating Festival Nagasaki This night marks the final night of the Bon festival -- a traditional period where the spirits of the dead come back to visit relatives. Those who have lost loved ones in the past year build shorobune boats decked with flowers and lanterns. They are then paraded through the streets before being destroyed at the end of the parade. This is a serious festival, so do remain respectful if attending. Hitoyoshi Fireworks Festival Kumamoto Taking place at the riverside in Nakagawahara Park in Hitoyoshi City, this fireworks festival is expecting roughly 55,000 people to attend to ooh and ah at 5,000 pyrotechnics. While we do our best to ensure it’s correct, information is subject to change. Post first published in August 2016. Last updated in July 2025, by Patrick Balfe.

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