Summer in Japan may be hot and humid, but it is also the time of year when some of the best festivals in the country are held. The following are 5 highly recommended Japanese summer festivals that you should not miss:
Hakata Gion Yamakasa
The streets of Hakata in Fukuoka fill with boundless energy as teams of people race against each other while carrying colourful floats around the heart of the city during the Hakata Gion Yamakasa, a spectacular annual summer festival held during the first couple of weeks of July.
Kanto Matsuri
Held from the 3rd to the 6th of August in Akita City, the Kanto Matsuri is a festival that features the talents and skills of locals when it comes to performing while balancing on kanto, or long bamboo poles, the ends of which are decorated with beautiful paper lanterns. Participants try to show their aptitude by flawlessly executing the four primary kanto techniques — hip, forehead, one handed, and shoulder — accompanied by drums, music, and dance.
Harajuku Omotesando Genki Matsuri Super Yosakoi
Dubbed as Tokyo’s biggest Yosakoi dance festival, the Harajuku Omotesando Genki Matsuri Super Yosakoi features a wide array of traditional dances with a modern twist. Every year, it sees around 100 groups and thousands of dancers, clad in unique garb, flashing their best moves and choreography. It is held on the streets of the Harajuku area, particularly in the vicinities of Meiji Shrine, Yoyogi Park, and Omotesando Street.
Tenjin Matsuri
Regarded as one of Japan’s top three most important festivals, the Tenjin Matsuri of Osaka has a long-spanning history, believed to have begun as early as the 10th century. At present, it is celebrated on the 24th and 25th of July every year. Its highlights include a land procession of floats and dancers, starting from Tenmangu Shrine all the way through the heart of Osaka, and a river procession at around 6 pm, with the floats being carried onto boats for a parade along the Okawa River. The event ends with an impressive fireworks display late in the evening.
Gion Matsuri
Said to be Japan’s most popular festival, Kyoto’s Gion Matsuri takes place during the whole month of July and features a long list of events, the most important of which is the procession of floats on the 17th of July, known as Yamaboko Junko, which starts at 9 in the morning and follows a three-kilometre course through the city.
