Japan is home to countless local festivals (matsuri), as nearly every shrine holds its own celebration. Most are annual events honoring a shrine's deity, a seasonal change, or a historical occasion. Some festivals span several days.
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16Sapporo Snow FestivalHuge snow and ice sculptures fill Odori Park in central Sapporo during the Sapporo Snow Festival.RecommendedYokote Kamakura FestivalDozens of igloo-like snow huts called kamakura, plus hundreds of mini kamakura, appear across the city during the Yokote Kamakura Festival in one of Japan's snowiest regions.RecommendedOmizutoriOmizutori is a Buddhist ritual rather than a festival, held annually at Nigatsudo Hall of Todaiji Temple. The most dramatic ceremony involves nightly torch burning on the wooden hall's balcony.RecommendedTakayama MatsuriElaborately decorated floats are paraded through Takayama's old town during the Takayama Matsuri, held in spring and autumn.RecommendedAoi MatsuriThe Aoi Matsuri's highlight is a grand procession of over 500 people dressed in Heian Period (794–1185) aristocratic style, marching from Kyoto Imperial Palace to the Kamo Shrines.RecommendedKanda MatsuriTokyo's Kanda Matsuri spans a week, with main events on the weekend closest to May 15. Highlights include a daylong procession through central Tokyo on Saturday and portable shrine (mikoshi) parades by local neighborhoods on Sunday.RecommendedSanja MatsuriThe festival of Asakusa Shrine, Sanja Matsuri is one of Tokyo's three major festivals. Mikoshi are carried through Asakusa's streets.RecommendedHakata Gion YamakasaHeld from July 1 to 15 in Fukuoka's Hakata district, the Hakata Gion Yamakasa climaxes with a spectacular early-morning time trial race of festival floats on July 15.RecommendedGion MatsuriYasaka Shrine's Gion Matsuri is one of Japan's top three festivals, featuring floats over 20 meters tall. The highlight is the float parade on July 17, with lively evenings beforehand.RecommendedTenjin MatsuriOsaka's Tenmangu Shrine festival, Tenjin Matsuri, ranks among Japan's three greatest festivals. It features a lavish procession through Osaka's streets and boats on the river, accompanied by fireworks.RecommendedNebuta MatsuriThe Nebuta Matsuri showcases floats with giant lanterns, some over 10 meters wide. The festival attracts millions of visitors each year.RecommendedKanto MatsuriOver 200 long bamboo poles, each bearing up to 46 lanterns, are balanced by participants in the Kanto Festival's nightly parades.RecommendedAwa OdoriAwa Odori is the most famous of Japan's many traditional dance festivals held during the Obon season in mid-August.RecommendedNagasaki KunchiThe festival of Nagasaki's Suwa Shrine, Nagasaki Kunchi features Chinese-style dragons and floats shaped like ships.RecommendedJidai MatsuriThe Jidai Matsuri presents a spectacular historical parade covering over 1,000 years of Kyoto's history as Japan's capital. The procession goes from Kyoto Imperial Palace to Heian Shrine.RecommendedChichibu YomatsuriThe Chichibu Night Festival is considered one of Japan's three best festivals featuring large floats (yatai). The main event takes place on the evening of December 3.Recommended