Japanese Festivals & Events

Festival at one of Japan's three great morning markets in Wajima.

Festival celebrating world-famous Kobe beef in Kobe city.

Annual grand festival at Meiji Shrine with traditional performances.

Autumn leaf festival at Jingoji Temple in Kyoto with illuminated maple trees.

Festival when all 8 million gods gather at Izumo Grand Shrine.

Southern Kagoshima's seaside fireworks festival.

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

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

Massive fireworks display over Lake Suwa with approximately 40,000 shots.

Fukui's grand festival with towering warrior floats parading through the old port town.

Okinawa's massive tug of war festival, listed in the Guinness Book of Records.

Dramatic fire festival at Kurama Temple in northern Kyoto.

Nagasaki's autumn festival blending Chinese, Dutch, and Japanese cultural elements.

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

One of Tokyo's three great festivals, held at Kanda Myojin Shrine in odd-numbered years.

Festival celebrating the traditional women pearl divers of Mie Prefecture.

New Year's Eve tradition of eating buckwheat noodles for longevity.

Ancient Shinto festival at Kasuga Shrine with 900 years of unbroken tradition.

Winter illumination along Sendai's zelkova-lined Jozenji-dori Avenue.

One of Japan's three great float festivals, featuring massive illuminated floats and fireworks.