Events & Festivals

 Events & Festivals
 January
3rd Jan
  Hakozaki Shrine Tamaseseri
(Ball-Catching Festival)
 Fukuoka
6th Jan
  Dezome-shiki (New Year's Parade of Firemen)
 Tokyo
7th Jan
  Usokae (Bullfinch Exchange)
 Fukuoka
9th~11th Jan
  Toka Ebisu
 Osaka
Fourth Saturday
    Yamayaki (Grass Burning on Mt. Wakakusayama)
 Nara
The Sunday closest to January 15th
    Toh-shiya (Archery Contest) at Sanjusangen-do Temple
 Kyoto
17th Jan
    Bonden-sai (Bonden Festival)
 Akita
  February
For 7 days, starting in the second week
    Sapporo Snow Festival
 Hokkaido
3rd Feb
    Setsubun Mantoro (Lantern Festival)
 Nara
15th & 16th Feb
    Kamakura Snow Festival, Yokote
 Akita
Third Saturday of Feb
    Saidai-ji Eyo Hadaka Matsuri
(Naked Festival at Saidai-ji Temple)
 Okayama
17th~20th Feb
    Hachinohe Enburi
 Aomori
  March
1st~14th Mar
    Omizutori (Water-Drawing Festival)
 Nara
Weekend in mid-March
    Sagicho Matsuri (Sagicho Festival)
 Shiga
Weekend in mid-March
    Dai Himonjiyaki at Aso Fire Festival
 Kumamoto
  April
Second Sunday ~ Third Sunday
    Kamakura Festival
 Kanagawa
14th & 15th Apr
    Takayama Festival
 Gifu
16th & 17th Apr
    Yayoi Festival
 Tochigi
  May
3rd & 4th May
    Hakata Dontaku Festival
 Fukuoka
3rd~5th May
    Takoage-Gassen (Kite-Fighting Contest)
 Shizuoka
17th & 18th May
    Takigi O-Noh (Bonfire Noh performance)
 Nara
11th May~ 15th October
    Ukai (Cormorant Fishing)
 Gifu
The Saturday and Sunday closest
to 15th May
    Kanda Matsuri
 Tokyo
15th May
    Aoi Matsuri (Hollyhock Festival)
 Kyoto
17th & 18th May
    Shunki Reitaisai (Grand Festival of Spring), Nikko
 Tochigi
Third Sunday and preceding Friday and Saturday
    Asakusa Sanja Matsuri
 Tokyo
Third Sunday
    Mifune Matsuri
 Kyoto
  June
1st & 2nd Jun
    Takigi Noh (Bonfire Noh performance), Kyoto
 Kyoto
14th Jun
    Otaue Rice Planting Festival
 Osaka
Second Saturday
    Chagu Chagu Umako Horse Festival
 Iwate
mid-June
    Sanno Matsuri
 Tokyo
  July
1st~15th Jul
    Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival
 Fukuoka
14th Jul
    Nachi-no-Hi-Matsuri
 Wakayama
1st~31st Jul
    Gion Matsuri
 Kyoto
22nd~24th Jul
    Warei Taisai Festival & Uwajima Ushi-Oni Matsuri
 Ehime
Last Saturday, Sunday and Monday
    Soma-Nomaoi (Wild Horse Racing)
 Fukushima
24th & 25th Jul
    Tenjin Matsuri Festival
 Osaka
Late July ~
Early August (June 17th according to the lunar calendar)
    Miyajima Kangensai Festival
 Hiroshima
Last Saturday (held in case of light rain but postponed if the weather is bad)
    Sumida River Fireworks Display
 Tokyo
  August
[Aomori Nebuta Matsuri] : 2nd~7th Aug
[Hirosaki Neputa Matsuri] : 1st~7th Aug
    Aomori Nebuta Matsuri and Hirosaki Neputa Matsuri
 Aomori
Mid-July ~ Early September
    Gujo Odori Dance Performance
 Gifu
3rd ~ 6th Aug
    Akita Kanto Matsuri
 Akita
6th Aug
    Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony (The Memorial Ceremony for the Atomic Bomb Victims and the Peace Memorial Ceremony of Hiroshima City)
 Hiroshima
5th ~ 7th Aug
    Yamagata Hanagasa Matsuri
 Yamagata
6th~8th Aug
    Sendai Tanabata Matsuri (Star Festival)
 Miyagi
12th~15th Aug
    Awa-Odori Folk Dance Festival in Tokushima
 Tokushima
15th & 16th Aug
    Yamaga Toro Matsuri (Yamaga Lantern Festival)
 Kumamoto
16th Aug
    Daimonji Gozan Okuribi (Daimonji Bonfire)
 Kyoto
26th & 27th Aug
    Dai-Chochin Matsuri (Giant Lantern Festival)
  Aichi
  September
1st~3rd Sep
    Owara Kaze-no-Bon Festival
  Toyama
14th~16th Sep
    Reitaisai
 Kanagawa
  October
7th~9th Oct
    Nagasaki Kunchi Festival
 Nagasaki
For three days in early October
    Marimo Matsuri
 Hokkaido
9th & 10th Oct
    Takayama Matsuri Autumn Festival
 Gifu
11th~13th Oct
    Ikegami Honmonji O-Eshiki
 Tokyo
14th~15th Oct
    Nada no Kenka Matsuri (Nada Fighting Festival)
 Hyogo

16th~17th Oct
    Nikko Toshogu Shrine Shuki Taisai Grand Autumn Festival
 Tochigi
22nd (postponed in case of rain)
    Jidai Matsuri (Festival of the Ages)
 Kyoto
22nd (postponed in case of rain)
    Kurama no Hi-Matsuri (Kurama Fire Festival)
 Kyoto
  November
3rd Nov
    Hakone Daimyo Gyoretsu
(Feudal Lord's Procession in Hakone)
 Kanagawa
2nd~4th Nov
    Karatsu Kunchi Festival
 Saga
The days of the Tori or Rooster in November (the date changes each year, so please check the Japanese calendar)
    Tori-no-Ichi (Rake Fair)
 Tokyo
  December
2nd & 3rd Dec
  Chichibu Yomatsuri (Chichibu Night Festival)
 Saitama
14th Dec
  Gishi-sai
 Tokyo

17th~19th Dec
    Hagoita-Ichi (Battledore Fair)
 Tokyo
15th~18th Dec
    Kasuga Wakamiya On-Matsuri
 Nara
31st Dec
    Oga Namahage (Oga Namahage Festival)
 Akita
31st Dec
    Okera-Mairi Festival
 Kyoto

 Traditional Events

  February
3rd or 4th
Setsubun (Bean-Throwing Festival)
  March
3rd
Hina-Matsuri (Doll Festival)
  April
8th
Hana-Matsuri (Floral Festival)
  July
7th
Tanabata(Star Festival)
13th-15th
O-Bon (Lantern Festival)
  November
15th
Shichi-Go-San (Children's Shrine-Visiting Day)