NorthWest WaAkita Kanto Matsuri
Early-August festival where performers balance tall bamboo poles hung with lanterns.
Source: Official website Β· Verified 2026-10-15
Festivals and seasons
Matsuri, cherry blossoms, autumn leaves and snow festivals, linked to official sites.
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Festival dates and blossom forecasts shift every year. Always check the official site for this yearβs dates.
Aomori Nebuta Matsuri
Early-August festival of giant illuminated paper floats paraded through Aomori city.
Source: Official website Β· Verified 2026-10-15
Arashiyama (Kyoto autumn leaves)
Classic autumn-leaf and spring-blossom district in western Kyoto.
Source: Official website Β· Verified 2026-10-15
Awa Odori (Tokushima)
Mid-August dance festival; Tokushima's streets fill with dancing groups.
Source: Official website Β· Verified 2026-10-15
Chichibu Night Festival
Early-December festival with lantern-lit floats and winter fireworks.
Source: Official website Β· Verified 2026-10-15
Gion Matsuri
Kyoto's July festival of Yasaka Shrine, famous for its towering yamaboko floats.
Source: Official website Β· Verified 2026-10-15
Hakata Gion Yamakasa
July festival in Fukuoka ending in a dawn race carrying one-tonne floats.
Source: Official website Β· Verified 2026-10-15
Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival
Spring festival at Hirosaki Castle Park, one of Japan's best-loved sakura spots (usually late April).
Source: Official website Β· Verified 2026-10-15
Kamakura (Yokote snow huts)
February snow-hut festival in Yokote, Akita.
Source: Official website Β· Verified 2026-10-15
Kawazu Cherry Blossom Festival
February-March festival of early-blooming Kawazu-zakura on the Izu Peninsula.
Source: Official website Β· Verified 2026-10-15
Nagaoka Fireworks Festival
Early-August fireworks over the Shinano River, among Japan's largest.
Source: Official website Β· Verified 2026-10-15
Nagasaki tourism (Lantern Festival)
Official Nagasaki tourism site covering the winter Lantern Festival and more.
Source: Official website Β· Verified 2026-10-15
Naha tourism (Great Tug-of-War)
Official Naha tourism site covering the October Great Tug-of-War and other events.
Source: Official website Β· Verified 2026-10-15
Owara Kaze no Bon
Early-September night dance festival in Yatsuo, Toyama, with haunting kokyu music.
Source: Official website Β· Verified 2026-10-15
Sanja Matsuri (Asakusa Shrine)
May festival of Asakusa Shrine, with portable shrines carried through the streets.
Source: Official website Β· Verified 2026-10-15
Sendai Tanabata Matsuri
Early-August star festival with huge paper streamers filling Sendai's arcades.
Source: Official website Β· Verified 2026-10-15
Sumidagawa Fireworks Festival
One of Tokyo's biggest summer fireworks shows, held in late July.
Source: Official website Β· Verified 2026-10-15
Takayama Festival
Spring and autumn festivals in Takayama with ornate floats and mechanical puppets.
Source: Official website Β· Verified 2026-10-15
Yamagata Hanagasa Matsuri
Early-August dance parade with flower-decorated straw hats.
Source: Official website Β· Verified 2026-10-15
19 listings Β· updated 2026-10-18
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