[Japan's Festivals in the Second Half of 2024] Summer festivals and local holidays | When to visit to participate in the most festivals?

Summer festivals in Japan are approaching, from the Gion Festival to the Nebuta Matsuri and Awa Odori Festival, each filled with Japanese celebratory culture, including firework displays! If you love Japanese culture, don't miss out! Want to know when to go to Japan to experience the most festivals? Check out the latest 2024 second half Japan festival and holiday guide!

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The Gion Festival is Japan's largest festival, with a magnificent and intricate flower float procession. If you plan to participate in some of the important parades, it is recommended that you book your accommodation in advance because many people will come to celebrate! There are several parades throughout July, for details please check the official website.

The Tenjin Matsuri is Osaka's most famous summer festival, consisting of a grand mikoshi procession, a 1.5-hour fireworks display, and concerts. As one of Japan's three major festivals, the Tenjin Matsuri will begin on July 24th at Tenmangu Shrine with rituals and dances to bless Osaka. After preparations are complete, men will beat drums to officially start the festival. The festival centers around Tenmangu Shrine and Sugawara no Michizane. His spirit tablet is placed in a mikoshi and paraded, then floated downstream, blessing Osaka's prosperity. The entire festival is incredibly uplifting!

The Sleep Demon Festival is one of the most important festivals in all of northeastern Japan, attracting millions of visitors each year. There are giant paper mache puppets, known as "Sleep Demons," that parade with drummers and flute players, creating a lively celebration. You can even rent specific costumes to participate in the festivities. The festival culminates in a two-hour fireworks display!

The Kanto Festival is one of Akita's three major festivals, held in early August each year. It is a prayer for a bountiful harvest. A procession with teams carrying 12-meter-high poles decorated with 46 paper lanterns moves through the streets to the sound of flutes and drums.

Seeing the photos, I feel full of vitality. The Yamagata Flower Hat Festival features parades and dancers as its biggest highlight. They celebrate traditional music and dance to the rhythm. The so-called "flower hats" are handcrafted from straw and decorated with artificial red flowers. Besides taking pictures, audiences can also join the dancing procession during the final free time!

As everyone knows, the Qixi Festival is held in Sendai every early August. The shopping streets are decorated with colorful banners made of large paper lanterns and streamers, which are very romantic! There will be a fireworks display on August 5th to kick off the festival. Wearing a yukata is recommended for taking pictures – it's super beautiful!

Tokushima's annual Awa Odori Dance Festival attracts over a million people every year for a joyous celebration. From August 12th to 15th, the entire city is enveloped in a vibrant festival atmosphere. Thousands of dancers in brightly colored traditional costumes take to the streets, performing the Awa Odori dance. Visitors can enjoy watching the performances or even register to join the dancing throng!

The Gion Matsuri's Okuribi ceremony in Kyoto is a spectacular festival, also known as "Daimonji," because, as seen in the pictures, giant paper lanterns are arranged into kanji characters and then lit on fire. It takes place every year at 8:00 PM on August 16th.

Drum performances have always been a very impactful visual and auditory feast, and Okinawa's Eisa Taiko Dance Festival annually attracts hundreds of thousands of spectators. With traditional dances, drum performances, and costumes, it conveys the local culture and passion to everyone!

From September 1st to 3rd every year, the Owara Obon Festival is held in Nagaoka-cho, southern town of Fuu City. The region is renowned for its elegant traditional dances. Locals don vibrant costumes and straw hats, dancing throughout the night in Obon dance, praying for bountiful harvests and favorable weather conditions. The entire festival exudes a mystical and unique celebratory atmosphere through its dances.

Every year in September, the town of Kakunodate in Akita Prefecture holds a unique festival that combines Buddhism, Shintoism, and dance performances. Eighteen festival floats, 4 meters high, parade through the streets, with young men pushing their own floats forward and clashing with others, creating an atmosphere full of excitement and tension! It has been listed as one of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The Nagasaki Palace Festival, held over three days starting on October 7th each year, is a grand autumn festival of Suwa Shrine. It features various folk performance activities, even incorporating cultures from outside Japan, such as dragon dances. It's very lively, but remember to book tickets in advance!

Every year on the third weekend of October, Kawagoe holds a festival to commemorate the origin of Kawagoe in the Edo period. Therefore, the overall atmosphere of this festival is different from other festivals, with large floats competing against each other, vocal and shouting sounds rising, creating a powerful atmosphere. There are also traditional food stalls on site, offering both food and entertainment!

During the season when autumn leaves surround us, it's time for Chūson-ji Temple to hold the Autumn Fujiwara Festival. On November 1st, young children dressed in traditional attire and holding maple leaves begin their procession from the main hall to the Golden Hall for a worship ceremony. During the festival, there are also traditional performances.

To celebrate a bumper harvest, this 3-day parade of floats began. This tradition has been carried on ever since. Floats travel from Karatsu Shrine to Nishikino Beach, each fantastical float attracting crowds' attention. It is also listed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Site. If you want to participate, it is recommended that you plan your trip in advance to avoid a shortage of accommodations!

From December 2nd to 3rd every year, the grand "Chichibu Night Festival" is held. Exquisite festival floats weighing over 10 tons move through the crowds. It's a truly magnificent winter festival that you must visit! People also participate in beautiful costumes and lanterns. You can also enjoy traditional snacks and admire fireworks displays lasting several hours!

The Spring Palace Festival originally intended to seek health and ward off epidemics. It later expanded to include a bountiful harvest. Now, it's held annually for four days. You can see authentic traditional costumes, imperial music, and dances – a truly unique experience!

Japanese summer festivals have always been popular attractions, and if you time it right, you can experience many festivals in one go. You could visit at the end of July to attend the Gion Festival, followed by the Suiseki Festival, Kanto Festival, Hanagasa Festival, and Tanabata Festival in early August. If you're not afraid of crowds, during Obon season (around August 13th-16th), you could participate in festivals like Awa Odori Dance Festival, Gozan no Okuribi Bonfire Festival, and Gunma Matsuri.

| Public Holiday | Date | Day of the Week | |---|---|---| | Sea Day | July 15th | Monday | | Mountain Day | August 11th | Sunday | | Respect for the Aged Day | September 16th | Monday | | Autumnal Equinox Day | September 22nd | Sunday | | Sports Day | October 14th | Monday | | Culture Day | November 3rd | Sunday | | Labor Thanksgiving Day | November 23rd | Saturday | Japan's public holidays, if they happen to fall on a Sunday, will make the following Monday also a holiday. In the second half of 2024, Mountain Day, Autumnal Equinox Day, and Culture Day all fall on Sundays, so the following Monday is also a holiday for the locals!

Mountain Day will be celebrated on August 11th every year to commemorate and cherish the abundant mountainous resources within the country. The government encourages people to hike and get close to nature on this day, raising public awareness of protecting and appreciating mountains and natural scenery.

Respect for the Elderly Day is a national holiday celebrated on the third Monday of September each year. It expresses respect and gratitude to the elderly. Japanese society highly values the status and contributions of the elderly, encourages young people to care about and look after them, and calls for society to jointly safeguard their rights and improve their well-being.

The Autumnal Equinox usually falls around September 22nd each year, and in 2024, it will be exactly on the 22nd. However, since it falls on a Sunday, the following day, the 23rd, will also be a holiday; this day is used to express gratitude for nature's gifts, celebrate the arrival of the harvest season, and reflect on the brevity of life, cherishing the present moment and commemorating ancestors.

Sports Day is celebrated on the second Monday of October every year. It aims to promote a healthy lifestyle for everyone and encourage participation in various sports activities. On this day, various sporting events are held across the country, allowing people of all ages to participate.

Culture Day is celebrated on November 3rd, marking the enthronement of Emperor Meiji in 1868. Considered the founder of modern Japan, Emperor Meiji led the country's transformation from a feudal society to a modernized nation. On this day, various cultural activities are held throughout Japan, such as traditional music and dance performances, special openings of museums and art galleries, local food tasting, and cultural forums. People often wear traditional attire like kimonos or yukatas to participate in these events, expressing their respect and love for Japanese culture.

Labor Thanksgiving Day is celebrated every year on November 23rd. It aims to express gratitude for people's hard work and contributions throughout the year. On this day, there are many ceremonies to express thanks to all kinds of laborers: Visiting shrines: Many Japanese people visit shrines to express their gratitude to the deities. Family gatherings: Families gather together to enjoy delicious meals and express their appreciation for each other. Workplace celebrations: Companies and factories hold celebratory events to commend employees for their hard work. Community activities: Local communities also organize sports events, festivals, etc., to promote interaction among neighbors. Government activities: Government officials usually give speeches on this day to recognize the contributions of laborers.

That's an introduction to Japanese festivals and holidays. During summer, Japan truly has many activities. Everyone should seize the opportunity and quickly arrange their travel itinerary and accommodations! There is other travel information provided for you here as well~.