festivals in japan

Something very typical in Japan are festivals. They're especially popular in summer, but in fact there're festivals almost all year round all over Japan. With so many festivals it's hard to decide which one is better, this list shows best traditional known festivals in Japan.

❮ ❯

Lantern Festival
Nagasaki

The biggest lantern festival in Japan, festival takes place in Nagasaki City. Over 15 000 colourfights adorn the entire city for 15 days

More Information ❯

❮ ❯

Yuki Matsuri
Sapporo

Sapporo Yuki Matsuri started with six sculptures made by local high school students in the year 1950, and now it has become one of the biggest snow and ice festivals in the world

More Information ❯

❮ ❯

Sanja Matsuri
Tokyo

The festival is held in honor of Hinokuma Hamanari, Hinokuma Takenari, and Hajino Nakatomo, the three men who established and founded the Sensō-ji Buddhist temple.

More Information ❯

❮ ❯

Kanda Matsuri
Tokyo

Kanda Festival one of the greatest and biggest festivals in Tokyo and is held at Kanda Myojin Shrine, Tokyo’s oldest and most powerful shrine.

More Information ❯

❮ ❯

Gion Matsuri
Tokyo

Most famous and largest festivals in Japan. It's formally part of Japan's indigenous, nature-based Shinto faith, and its original purposes were purification and pacification of disease-causing entities.

More Information ❯

❮ ❯

Tenjin Matsuri
Osaka

Tenjin Matsuri is the festival of the Tenmangu Shrine and honors its principle deity Sugawara Michizane, the deity of scholarship.

More Information ❯

❮ ❯

Nebuta Matsuri
Aomori

"Nebuta" refers to the float of a brave warrior-figure which is carried through the center of the city, while dancers wearing a unique type of costume called haneto

More Information ❯

❮ ❯

Tanabata Matsuri
Sendai

The Tanabata or “Star Festival”, held on July 7th, marks the beginning of summer in Japan.

More Information ❯

nr festival celebrated more info
1 Lantern Festival
(Nagasaki)		 25 January to 8 February press
2 Yuki Matsuri
(Sapporo)		 February 5-22 press
3 Sanja Matsuri
(Tokyo)		 Around May 13 press
4 Kanda Matsuri
(Tokyo)		 Around May 15 press
5 Gion Matsuri
(Kyoto)		 July 17 and 24 press
6 Tenjin Matsuri
(Osaka)		 July 24 and 25 press
7 Nebuta Matsuri
(Aomori)		 August 2 to 7 press
8 Tanabata Matsuri
(Sendai)		 August 6-8 press