Explore the Most Popular
Japanese Festivals & Celebrations

Ready your senses for Japan’s vibrant tapestry of seasonal traditions! This article takes you on a month-by-month journey through festivals in Japan by month, highlighting both iconic celebrations and hidden cultural gems. Discover ancient rituals, breathtaking displays, and festive atmospheres that define Japanese traditions and festivals.
Last updated: 14.07.2025

January–March: New Year Rituals

Hatsumode (early January): The first shrine visit of the New Year. Join thousands at Meiji Shrine in Tokyo or Fushimi Inari in Kyoto, where locals queue in the crisp morning air to pray for good fortune.
Ouchi‑juku Snow Festival (mid-February): This preserved Edo-period village turns into a wintry fairy tale with glowing candle lanterns lining the snow-covered streets. Local soba noodles and mochi pounding add a cosy, traditional feel.
Yokote Kamakura Festival in Akita (Feb 15–16): Dozens of hand-carved snow huts (kamakura) serve warm amazake to visitors. Kids invite you inside to chat with them, truly heartwarming.
Sapporo Snow Festival (early Feb): Giant snow and ice sculptures wow crowds from around the globe. Odori Park hosts the main event, where illuminated dragons, castles, and pop culture figures light up the night. To see Japan in its most peaceful and poetic season, the Japan Essentials Tour offers an ideal journey.
Tsubaki & Ume Festivals: Early spring blossoms begin to pop, especially camellias on Izu Ōshima and plum trees in Atami. These are more serene than cherry blossoms, with fewer crowds and beautiful local processions.

April–May: Springtime Festivals & Cherry Blossoms

Takayama Spring Festival (mid-April): Considered one of Japan’s three most beautiful festivals, Takayama’s ornate yatai floats—adorned with golden phoenixes and intricate carvings—parade through the old town. Puppets perform ancient kabuki plays from the floats’ upper decks.
Aoi Matsuri (May 15): One of Kyoto’s oldest festivals, dating back to the 6th century. A sea of Heian-period costumes, ox-drawn carts, and courtly elegance flows from the Imperial Palace to Shimogamo Shrine.
Hamamatsu Kite Festival: Over 100 kites compete in aerial duels on the beach while teams cheer with taiko drums. It’s a thrilling spectacle symbolising wishes for children's healthy growth.

Sanja Matsuri (third weekend in May): Tokyo’s rowdiest festival, held in Asakusa. Over 100 mikoshi (portable shrines) are carried through the streets with raw, electrifying energy.
Kanda Matsuri (mid-May, odd years): This festival rotates with Sanno Matsuri, and when it takes place, Tokyo comes alive with thousands of samurai-clad participants and divine floats honoring Kanda Myojin Shrine. It also coincides beautifully with cherry blossom season, when Tokyo’s Ueno Park, the bloom-lined shores of Mt. Fuji, Kyoto’s Philosopher’s Path, and the illuminated trees of Maruyama Park transform into some of the most photogenic spots in Japan.

“

What is Japan's biggest festival?
Japan's biggest festival is Gion Matsuri in Kyoto, held throughout July. It features massive floats, traditional processions, and centuries-old rituals.

June: Florals, Lanterns & Rice‑planting Rites

Hydrangea Festivals (Ajisai Matsuri): Temples like Meigetsuin (Kamakura) and Mimuroto-ji (Kyoto) are carpeted in blue, pink, and purple blooms. The scene is spiritual, especially during misty mornings.
Yosakoi Soran Festival (early June): Held in Sapporo, this energetic dance competition combines traditional yosakoi moves with modern flair. Teams clad in bright happi coats leap and twirl through the streets.
Otaue Rice Planting Festival in Osaka: Priests and maidens dressed in white chant while planting sacred rice seedlings, invoking a good harvest.
Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha Rituals: These early summer rituals at Mount Fuji’s base include torch ceremonies and water blessings — a quiet yet powerful look into agrarian Shinto tradition.

July: Floats, Fireworks & Purification Rituals

Gion Matsuri (Kyoto, all July): Summer kicks off with the most iconic Japan celebrations. This UNESCO-listed festival features elaborate 25-meter-high floats called yamaboko. Join evening yoiyama events for yukata fashion and atmospheric lanterns.
Tenjin Matsuri (Osaka, July 24–25): One of Japan’s top three festivals. Watch portable shrines sail down the Okawa River on illuminated boats, culminating in fireworks over the city.

Sumida River Fireworks Festival (late July): Tokyo's biggest hanabi display. Grab a spot early along the riverbanks and enjoy over 20,000 fireworks synchronized with music. The festive atmosphere makes it a true summer highlight.
Mitama Matsuri at Yasukuni Shrine: Over 30,000 lanterns light the path to the shrine, creating a gentle, luminous glow in Tokyo’s humid midsummer.

Important events in Japan include New Year (Shogatsu), the country’s most celebrated holiday, Golden Week in spring, the Obon festival in August to honour ancestors, and the cherry blossom season in March–April. Major festivals like Kyoto’s Gion Matsuri in July also play a key role in Japan’s cultural calendar.

August: Dance, Lights & Ancestral Spirits

Awa Odori (Tokushima): Performers chant and dance through streets with lanterns and shamisen accompaniment. “The dancers are fools, and the watchers are fools…” the saying goes—so why not join?
Nebuta Festival (Aomori): Towering warrior floats are pulled through the streets, illuminated from within. Dancers in haneto costumes invite visitors to join in by shouting “Rassera!”
Obon (mid-August): Nationwide traditions honour returning ancestral spirits. Families clean graves, light lanterns, and perform Bon Odori dances. In Kyoto, Gozan no Okuribi fires blaze on mountain slopes.
Nagaoka Fireworks Festival: Among Japan’s top three fireworks shows, known for the Phoenix and Niagara waterfalls of light stretching across the Shinano River.
This month combines movement, memory, and magic. Japan’s Timeless Journey can include visits to temples where you feel part of the ritual, not just a spectator, allowing you to learn more about traditions and festivals in japan.

September–November: Harvest & Folklore

Kishiwada Danjiri Matsuri (Osaka, September): Wild and dangerous—massive wooden floats are pulled at high speed around tight city corners. It’s loud, proud, and thrilling.
Takayama Autumn Festival: Like its spring counterpart, this celebration includes puppet shows and resplendent yatai floats, this time with autumnal leaves swirling around them.
Karatsu Kunchi (Saga): Enormous hand-made festival floats shaped like sea bream, dragons, and lions parade through narrow streets in this coastal town. UNESCO listed for good reason.
Jidai Matsuri (Kyoto, Oct 22): One of Kyoto’s grand processions, this festival walks you through centuries of Japanese history, with over 2,000 participants in historical attire.

December: End-of-Year Reflection

Chichibu Night Festival (Dec 2–3): This UNESCO-recognized event combines ornate floats with snowy streets and massive fireworks.
Kobe Luminarie: An Italian-designed light installation remembering the Great Hanshin Earthquake. A tunnel of light leads you through a moving experience of hope.
47 Ronin Parade in Ako: Locals dress as samurai to commemorate the legendary tale of loyalty and revenge. It's living theatre on the streets.
Osame-no-Daishi Ceremony (Dec 31): Year-end purification at major temples like Kawasaki Daishi and Kiyomizudera. People burn old charms and buy new ones as bells ring out 108 times to cleanse earthly desires.

From floating lanterns to fierce float races, popular Japanese festivals offer a vivid window into local life, spirituality, and history. With carefully timed Japan Tours you’re not just travelling, you’re living its rhythm. Let’s start an unforgettable cultural immersion!