Blog Archives

May is certainly busy in Japan, with a whole flurry of festivals just in the first weekend for Golden Week! Wherever you are in Japan, you'll find something to see, be it a samurai procession, a Brazilian Festival or even a Kite flying competition! Take your pick from the amazing events filling the calendar, and be sure to keep an eye out for any new additions! Kamogawa Odori | 1st - 24th May | Kyoto Your final chance to see one of the city's annual Geisha performances, this show features Geiko and Maiko from the Pontocho area of Kyoto. In a small theater built specifically for this event and said to make it one of the most intimate of the shows, you can choose between tickets with or without Maiko tea ceremony included. Hakata Dontake Festival | April 3rd - 4th | Fukuoka This is thought to be the largest of the Golden Week festivals in Japan, drawing crowds from across the country. Famed for the extravagant costumes worn by the competing teams, the festival dates back to 1179 and was originally a celebration of the Chinese New Year. It was eventually banned for its perceived extravagance but returned as the Dontaku festival not long after. Sake Spring Kyoto | Kyoto This is the perfect opportunity to try over 150 different varieties of nihonshu from 50 different brewers who travel from across Japan to attend. If you get your tickets in advance they cost only and allow you to try all the sake you can handle, with a cheaper ticket available for entry after 3pm. There are movies, music and food to go with the drinks, so you can make an afternoon of it! Hiroshima Flower Festival | April 3rd - 5th | Hiroshima Offering more than the name suggests, the Hiroshima flower festival includes a yosakoi dance festival, flower queen contest, parades and illuminations at night. Over 100 teams compete in the Yosakoi on the 5th and there will be stage performances too, so there's certainly enough to keep you entertained. Hamamatsu Festival | May 3rd - 5th | Shizuoka A festival split in two, this event features some traditional elements alongside its kite-flying day on the 3rd. On all three days, in the early evening, a procession takes place near Hamamatsu Station with floats resembling temples and carrying musicians by Hamamatsu station. There will be buses running to the kite-flying site from there, costing each way. Shinkawa Market Festival | May 3rd - 5th | Yamaguchi One of the highlights of this local festival is the Fox's wedding parade. Watch as a traditionally dressed bride and groom have their faces painted like foxes and are paraded through the town on rickshaws. Heijokyo Tempyo Sai Festival | May 3rd - 5th | Nara With a history dating back 1,300 years, this festival celebrates the days when Nara was the capital of Japan. There are re-enactments of imperial guards and a noble banquet, parades and children's workshops, it's a great family event. Keen photographers can enter their best shots to the festival competition and there will be a market for the full three days. Kaname Inari Festival | 11th - 12th May | Kyoto Held at a shrine so small it isn't even on Google Maps, this festival is a fantastic opportunity to see the Geiko and Maiko of Kyoto (called Geisha in Tokyo). On the first evening, the Geiko and Maiko will entertain with games and drinks, while on the second day there will be a traditional ceremony. Nagoya Brazil Festival | 12th - 13th May | Nagoya For a taste of something different, try the biggest Brazilian festival in Japan. As Aichi is home to the biggest Brazilian population as well as nearby Mie, it's going to be good. There will be music, dance, performances and plenty of food and drink to enjoy! Aoi Matsuri | May 15th | Kyoto One of the three most significant festivals in Kyoto, the Aoi Matsuir features a procession from the Imperial Palace, through the streets to the Kamo Shrines. Over 500 participants dress in traditional clothing and Hollyhock leaves and make their way through the city, including an unmarried woman chosen to represent Saio. As the youngest female of the Imperial family, she was the high priestess of the Kamo shrines. Togyo 1,000 Samurai Procession | 18th May | Tochigi For Samurai lovers, there's only one place for you to be this month, and that's Tochigi. With 1,200 participants all dressed in full Samurai costume, the procession takes place on the second day of the Nikko Toshogu Shrine Grand Festival. They escort mikoshi to a hall in the shrine grounds and will give you an idea of what the Shogun's army may have looked like. Kobe Festival | 19th - 20th May | Kobe This bright and energetic festival takes place over two days, with separate celebrations in the 9 wards of the city on the first day. On the Sunday there is a big parade along Sannomiya road from 12 noon, with guests from Disney making a special appearance this year. Sakata Festival | May 19th - 20th | Yamagata Held every year since 1609, this three-day festival features some equally impressive and terrifying floats, known especially for the giant Lion's heads. There will be 350 stalls selling festival favorites and you'll be able to enjoy a local festival that doesn't get as many visitors as the bigger ones in Japan.

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