Japanese Festivals & Events

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

Imperial harvest thanksgiving ritual held at the Imperial Palace.

Autumn festival of the god Ebisu, especially popular in Nagano.

Children's rite of passage at ages 3, 5, and 7, celebrated at shrines.

November rooster fair at Otori Shrine, Tokyo. Nov 5, 17, 29, 2026. Buy ornate kumade rakes for good luck. Street food, lively atmosphere.

Moon viewing tradition with dango offerings and pampas grass decorations.

Daimonji Gozan Okuribi: Kyoto's iconic mountain bonfire ritual. Aug 16, 2026. Five giant kanji characters blaze on mountainsides at dusk.

Annual Buddhist festival honoring ancestral spirits with bon dances and lanterns.

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

Mid-year purification ceremony where visitors walk through a reed ring.

Rice planting festival at Sumiyoshi Taisha with traditional music and dance.

Boys' Day with carp streamers and samurai helmet displays.

Crying baby sumo contest where sumo wrestlers try to make babies cry first.

Fertility festival at Kanayama Shrine in Kawasaki, known for its unique iconography.

Girls' Day festival with ornate doll displays celebrating daughters' health.

Naked festival at Saidaiji Temple where men compete for sacred sticks.

Bean-throwing ceremony to ward off evil spirits, held at temples across Japan.

Breaking of New Year mochi decorations, symbolizing new beginnings.

First shrine or temple visit of the New Year, a nationwide tradition.

Japanese New Year celebrations with traditional food, games, and shrine visits.