Matsuri: Traditional Japanese Festivals

Festival

Ikukunitama Matsuri

One of Osaka's three great summer festivals features a grand procession from the shrine to Osaka Castle with gold and silver portable shrines.

11–12 Jul 2027Osaka · Kansai

Festival

Koiji Fire Festival

Coastal festival where young men shoulder ornate floats representing lovers and wade into the sea before Benten Island as fireworks burst overhead and ceremonial fires illuminate.

19 Jul 2027Ishikawa · Chubu

Festival

Ikukunitama Matsuri

One of Osaka's three great summer festivals features a grand procession from the shrine to Osaka Castle with gold and silver portable shrines.

11–12 Jul 2027Osaka · Kansai

Festival

Koiji Fire Festival

Coastal festival where young men shoulder ornate floats representing lovers and wade into the sea before Benten Island as fireworks burst overhead and ceremonial fires illuminate.

19 Jul 2027Ishikawa · Chubu

Festival

Tsuchizaki Shinmeisha Shrine Annual Celebration And The Float Festival

Elaborate floats and traditional performances honor this port town's spiritual guardian, a shrine established in 1620 by local leaders.

20–21 Jul 2027

Akita · Tohoku

Festival

Uwajima Ushi-Oni Festival

This summer festival in Ehime features giant ushi-oni floats depicting fearsome bull and demon faces, paraded through the streets with traditional music and chants.

22–24 Jul 2027Ehime · Shikoku

Festival

Osaka Tenjin Festival

A month-long summer festival centered on Osaka Tenmangu Shrine honors the deity Sugawara no Michizane with evening boat processions and fireworks on July 25.

24–25 Jul 2027Osaka · Kansai

Festival

Kurashiki Tenryo Summer Festival

A renowned summer festival features over 3,500 participants in the Daikan Bayashi-Odori dance, decorated floats, and traditional performances.

25 Jul 2027Okayama · Chugoku

Festival

Tenno Matsuri

A 600-year-old river festival in Tsushima, Aichi, held each July, where lantern-lit boats float down the Tenno River to traditional flute music, honouring the deity Gozu Tenno.

25–26 Jul 2027Aichi · Chubu

Festival

Summer Grand Festival

The Summer Grand Festival honours Onominato Shrine's deities with Kanazawa's largest mikoshi procession, traditional dances, and rituals from the 1600s.

30 Jul – 2 Aug 2027Ishikawa · Chubu

Festival

The Hachinohe Sansha Taisai

Hachinohe Sansha Taisai combines traditional shrine processions with elaborately decorated floats and is recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage.

31 Jul – 4 Aug 2027Aomori · Tohoku

Festival

Furusato Miya Matsuri

This Utsunomiya summer festival brings residents together for parades, traditional performances, and displays of local culture.

1–2 Aug 2027Tochigi · Kanto

Festival

Morioka Sansa Odori Festival

Major summer dance festival originating from legend about a demon's defeat, featuring traditional Sansa Odori dance and powerful taiko performances.

1–4 Aug 2027Iwate · Tohoku

Festival

Tsuyama Gongo Festival

The Tsuyama Gongo Festival is a lively summer event in Tsuyama City featuring kappa-themed dances along Yakko-dori Street and one of Okayama's largest fireworks displays.

1–2 Aug 2027Okayama · Chugoku

Festival

Takaoka Tanabata Festival

A festival celebrating the legend of star-crossed lovers transforms the city with colorful bamboo displays, streamers, and a traditional parade.

1–8 Aug 2027Toyama · Chubu

Festival

Hirosaki Neputa Festival

The Hirosaki Neputa Festival features giant illuminated floats up to 10 meters tall, paraded nightly through the city with taiko drums and traditional chanting.

1–7 Aug 2027Aomori · Tohoku

Festival

Issaki Hoto Festival

The Issaki Hōtō Festival features six massive illuminated lantern towers, each 10 meters tall, carried through the streets by teams in traditional festival attire.

1 Aug 2027Ishikawa · Chubu

Festival

Nagano Binzuru

The Nagano Binzuru Dance Festival draws over 10,000 participants in coordinated yukata processions through closed-off city streets in a fully participatory summer celebration.

2 Aug 2027Nagano · Chubu

Festival

The Aomori Nebuta Festival

Aomori's most iconic summer festival features glowing nebuta floats and energetic haneto dancers who leap through illuminated parades and water processions.

2–7 Aug 2027Aomori · Tohoku

Festival

Akita Kanto

A summer harvest festival features towering bamboo poles adorned with paper lanterns, paraded through streets with traditional music and daytime balancing performances.

3–6 Aug 2027Akita · Tohoku

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