Japanese Festivals & Events

Elegant court music festival on the sea at Itsukushima Shrine.

Sumida River Fireworks Festival: Tokyo's oldest and most famous hanabi. Jul 25, 2026. Over 20,000 fireworks. Best viewed from Asakusa area.

Okinawan Eisa dance festival in the heart of Tokyo's Shinjuku.

Samurai horse festival in Fukushima with mounted warriors in armor.

The river procession portion of Tenjin Matsuri with thousands of boats on the Okawa River.

Osaka's greatest festival with a river procession of illuminated boats.

Fuji Rock Festival: Asia's largest outdoor music festival. Jul 24–26, 2026. 200+ artists at Naeba Ski Resort. Camping, food, mountain setting.

Festival of lights at Yasukuni Shrine with 30,000 paper lanterns.

UNESCO-listed float festival in Sawara, Chiba. Jul 10–12, 2026. Edo-period streets, towering dashi floats, and traditional bayashi music.

Star Festival celebrating the annual meeting of celestial lovers Orihime and Hikoboshi.

Fukuoka's high-energy festival where teams race through the streets carrying massive floats.

Gion Matsuri: Kyoto's legendary month-long festival. Jul 1–31, 2026. Grand float processions on Jul 17 & 24. UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Lavender fields in bloom at Furano and Kamifurano in central Hokkaido.

Festival celebrating the traditional women pearl divers of Mie Prefecture.

National fireworks competition dedicated to Ise Grand Shrine.

Nagoya Port's annual fireworks festival with over 3,000 fireworks.

Yokohama's waterfront fireworks display over the Minato Mirai skyline.

Festival celebrating Hakodate's famous squid catch with fresh preparations.

Ancient fire festival at Nachi Falls where giant torches are carried down the mountainside.

Katsushika's intimate fireworks along Edogawa River, famous for close-range viewing.