Japanese festivals & events

The Shimokita Tengu Matsuri (しもきた天狗まつり) or Long Red-nosed Goblins Festival is held over three days each year in late January/early February. The event is held …

If you’re only going to do one thing this winter in Japan, you have to experience the Sapporo Yuki Matsuri or Sapporo Snow Festival in …

If you’re heading to Hokkaido this winter, spend a couple of hours at a festival that can only be described as fantastical. The Sounkyo Hyoubaku …

What better way to celebrate Chinese New Year in Japan than at Yokohama’s Chinatown. The streets alive with a festive atmosphere, drop in for all-you-can-eat …

It may get hot and humid but don’t discount Japan in the warmer months. With the incredible amount of outstanding festivals, August is one of …

The annual Nebuta Festival in the northern Japanese city of Aomori is one of the most iconic and spectacular festivals in the country. A highlight …

Head to Fujiyoshida City at the base of Mt. Fuji late August and you may feel you have been transported back a few centuries. That’s …

Held annually on the last Saturday and Sunday of August, the Koenji Awa Odori Festival (高円寺阿波踊り) is a dance festival that takes what energy Tokyo …

Do you remember the ‘Bon-odori’ dance festival I told you about a couple of weeks ago? About honoring the ancestors and dancing like a fool …