Hokkaido · Sapporo
Sapporo Snow Festival
さっぽろ雪まつり
Upcoming confirmed edition
4–11 February 2027
Sapporo Snow Festival fills Odori Park with huge snow sculptures and Susukino with ice carvings. Add Tsudome if snow play is part of your trip.
Japan map / Festivals
Find Japanese festivals for your travel dates
Snow sculptures, lantern parades or summer fireworks—which would you like to see? Browse by month and city to find festivals along your route. Each guide covers dates, venues, public transport, highlights and history, with links to official sources.
These 48 selected festivals and events cover all 47 prefectures. The list is not exhaustive; confirmed dates and usual seasons are labelled separately.
Explore the festival map48 festivals
Aomori · Aomori
Aomori Nebuta Festival
青森ねぶた祭
Usual season; next dates not confirmed
Usually 2–7 August; next edition's details await the organizer's announcement
Aomori Nebuta Festival brings giant illuminated figures through the streets, accompanied by drums, flutes and haneto dancers. The final day's sea procession takes the spectacle to the harbor.
Akita · Akita
Akita Kanto Festival
秋田竿燈まつり
Usual season; next dates not confirmed
Usually 3–6 August; next edition's details await the organizer's announcement
At Akita Kanto Festival, performers balance tall lantern poles on their hands, shoulders and foreheads. Watch the bend of each pole and the small adjustments that keep it upright.
Miyagi · Sendai
Sendai Tanabata Festival
仙台七夕まつり
Usual season; next dates not confirmed
Usually 6–8 August; next edition's details await the organizer's announcement
Sendai Tanabata Festival decorates the shopping arcades with enormous paper streamers. Each shop's colors and ornaments are different, so this is a festival to explore on foot rather than wait for a parade.
Kyoto · Kyoto
Gion Matsuri
祇園祭
Usual season; next dates not confirmed
Usually 1–31 July; float processions on 17 and 24 July
Gion Matsuri's richly decorated yamahoko floats show off Kyoto's textiles and craftsmanship. The evening Yoiyama displays and daytime processions offer different ways to see them.
Gifu · Takayama
Takayama Autumn Festival
秋の高山祭（八幡祭）
Upcoming confirmed edition
9–10 October 2026
Takayama Autumn Festival brings ornate yatai floats to Sakurayama Hachimangu and the old streets. Carved details and mechanical karakuri puppets are as much a draw as the procession.
Tokushima · Tokushima
Tokushima Awa Odori
徳島市阿波おどり
Past edition
12–15 August 2026 street performances; next edition not announced
Tokushima Awa Odori fills the city with dance groups called ren, moving to drums, flutes and shamisen. Ticketed venues and street performances offer different viewing experiences.
Fukuoka · Fukuoka
Hakata Gion Yamakasa
博多祇園山笠
Usual season; next dates not confirmed
Usually 1–15 July; Oiyama race at dawn on 15 July
Hakata Gion Yamakasa combines towering display floats with fast-moving kakiyama carried through the streets. Daytime float viewing and the dawn Oiyama race are very different outings.
Kyoto · Kyoto
Jidai Matsuri
時代祭
Upcoming confirmed edition
22 October 2026; subject to rain postponement
Jidai Matsuri recreates Kyoto's history through costumes, equipment and a procession running backward through the eras. The parade travels from Kyoto Imperial Palace to Heian Jingu Shrine.
Saitama · Chichibu
Chichibu Night Festival
秩父夜祭
Usual season; next dates not confirmed
Usually 2–3 December; next edition's program awaits confirmation
Chichibu Night Festival brings decorated floats through town, with the largest events on 3 December. Daytime craft viewing and the evening procession suit different plans.
Iwate · Morioka
Morioka Sansa Odori
盛岡さんさ踊り
Usual season; next dates not confirmed
Usually 1–4 August
Morioka Sansa Odori brings drummers and dancers together in a colorful street procession. Traditional groups preserve different local steps and costumes.
Yamagata · Yamagata
Yamagata Hanagasa Festival
山形花笠まつり
Usual season; next dates not confirmed
Usually 5–7 August
Yamagata Hanagasa Festival is a street parade of dancers holding flower-decorated hats. Groups combine traditional steps with their own choreography.
Fukushima · Minamisoma
Soma Nomaoi
相馬野馬追
Past edition
23–25 May 2026; next edition awaits announcement
Soma Nomaoi features armored riders and horses in ceremonial events and competitions. The main festival ground and shrine rituals are spread across Soma and Minamisoma.
Ibaraki · Mito
Mito Plum Blossom Festival
水戸の梅まつり
Usual season; next dates not confirmed
Usually February–March; flowering and event dates differ
Mito Plum Blossom Festival celebrates the plum gardens at Kairakuen and Kodokan. Blossom timing varies, so the festival period does not guarantee peak flowers.
Tochigi · Kanuma
Kanuma Autumn Festival
鹿沼秋まつり
Upcoming confirmed edition
10–11 October 2026
Kanuma Autumn Festival sends carved wooden yatai floats through town to Imamiya Shrine. The carvings and exchanges of festival music are central attractions.
Gunma · Kiryu
Kiryu Yagibushi Festival
桐生八木節まつり
Usual season; next dates not confirmed
Usually August; exact dates announced each year
Kiryu Yagibushi Festival brings folk-song dancing, shrine events and street performances to the textile town. Dance stages and portable-shrine processions follow different programs.
Chiba · Katori / Sawara
Sawara Grand Festival
佐原の大祭
Upcoming confirmed edition
Autumn: 9–11 October 2026, 10:00–22:00; summer festival held separately in July
Sawara Grand Festival brings floats topped with large figures through Katori's historic streets. Sawara-bayashi musicians accompany the turns and maneuvers in the narrow lanes.
Tokyo · Tokyo / Asakusa
Sanja Matsuri
三社祭
Usual season; next dates not confirmed
Usually the Friday–Sunday around the third Saturday in May
Sanja Matsuri fills Asakusa with portable shrines carried by neighborhood groups. The opening parade and later mikoshi processions have different routes.
Kanagawa · Kawasaki
Kawasaki Sanno Festival
川崎山王祭
Past edition
14–21 June 2026; moved to June from 2026
Kawasaki Sanno Festival is Inage Shrine's neighborhood festival, with portable shrines moving through the east-side streets. Its season changed to June in 2026.
Niigata · Nagaoka
Nagaoka Fireworks Festival
長岡まつり大花火大会
Usual season; next dates not confirmed
Usually 2–3 August; seating arrangements announced by edition
Nagaoka Fireworks Festival lights the Shinano River with large fireworks displays. Your riverbank and seating block determine where to go from the station.
Toyama · Toyama / Yatsuo
Owara Kaze no Bon
おわら風の盆
Usual season; next dates not confirmed
Usually 1–3 September
Owara Kaze no Bon brings restrained folk dancing and live music to Yatsuo's old streets. Performances take place neighborhood by neighborhood rather than as one continuous parade.
Ishikawa · Kanazawa
Kanazawa Hyakumangoku Festival
金沢百万石まつり
Usual season; next dates not confirmed
Usually three days around the first Saturday in June
Kanazawa Hyakumangoku Festival commemorates Maeda Toshiie's arrival at the castle. Its main procession moves from the station into the city and castle grounds.
Fukui · Sakai / Mikuni
Mikuni Festival
三国祭
Usual season; next dates not confirmed
Usually 19–21 May
Mikuni Festival brings figure-topped floats through a historic port town. Shrine gatherings and neighborhood routes give different views of the floats.
Yamanashi · Kofu
Shingen-ko Festival
信玄公祭り
Past edition
3–5 April 2026; next edition awaits announcement
Kofu's Shingen-ko Festival recreates an armored army procession in honor of Takeda Shingen. The modern parade takes place downtown, not on a battlefield.
Nagano · Nagano
Nagano Binzuru Festival
長野びんずる
Past edition
1 August 2026; next edition awaits announcement
Nagano Binzuru brings groups of residents into the central streets for summer dancing. The route is in the city, rather than only inside Zenkoji Temple.
Shizuoka · Hamamatsu
Hamamatsu Festival
浜松まつり
Usual season; next dates not confirmed
Usually 3–5 May
Hamamatsu Festival combines daytime kite flying by the coast with ornate goten-yatai floats downtown at night. They are two different venues, so plan the transfer.
Aichi · Nagoya
Atsuta Festival
熱田まつり
Usual season; next dates not confirmed
Usually 5 June
Atsuta Festival is a major annual observance at Atsuta Jingu, with shrine rites, traditional performances and lantern displays. Fireworks arrangements are announced separately.
Mie · Kuwana
Kuwana Ishidori Festival
桑名石取祭
Usual season; next dates not confirmed
Usually the first Sunday in August and the previous day
Kuwana Ishidori Festival is known for the powerful sound of drums and gongs on neighborhood floats. Each group approaches the shrine in an assigned order.
Shiga · Nagahama
Nagahama Hikiyama Festival
長浜曳山まつり
Usual season; next dates not confirmed
Usually April; main events around 15 April
Nagahama Hikiyama Festival turns ornate floats into stages for children's kabuki. The performances happen at planned stops as the floats move through town.
Osaka · Osaka
Tenjin Matsuri
天神祭
Usual season; next dates not confirmed
Usually 24–25 July
Osaka Tenjin Matsuri combines a land procession with a boat procession on the Okawa River. Moving from the shrine to the waterfront is part of planning the visit.
Hyogo · Himeji
Nada Fighting Festival
灘のけんか祭り
Usual season; next dates not confirmed
Usually 14–15 October
Nada Kenka Festival is Matsubara Hachiman Shrine's energetic autumn festival, with portable shrines and large neighborhood floats. Watch from authorized spectator areas.
Nara · Nara
Kasuga Wakamiya Onmatsuri
春日若宮おん祭
Usual season; next dates not confirmed
Usually 15–18 December; main procession and performances on the 17th
Kasuga Wakamiya Onmatsuri preserves music and dance offered to the shrine's deity. Its processions, nighttime rites and traditional performances use different places and times.
Wakayama · Nachikatsuura
Nachi Ogi Matsuri
那智の扇祭り
Usual season; next dates not confirmed
Usually 14 July
Nachi Fire Festival, officially the Ogi Matsuri, uses large torches in a rite near Nachi Falls. The shrine above and the waterfall below are linked by a steep approach.
Tottori · Tottori
Tottori Shan Shan Festival
鳥取しゃんしゃん祭
Usual season; next dates not confirmed
Usually August; mass umbrella dancing centered on 14 August
Tottori Shanshan Festival fills the city with dancers turning bell-trimmed umbrellas. Different groups enter the designated streets from assigned positions.
Shimane · Matsue
Matsue Suitoro
松江水燈路
Published edition underway
2026: 26–27 September; 3–4, 10–12 and 17–18 October, 18:00–21:00
Matsue Suitoro lights the castle and surrounding streets with lanterns. It is an evening walk through illuminated areas, not a procession with a shared start and finish.
Okayama · Okayama
Okayama Uraja Festival
うらじゃ
Usual season; next dates not confirmed
Usually summer; dates announced by edition
Okayama Uraja is a lively dance festival whose name draws on the local Momotaro legend. Stage performances and street parades use different venues.
Hiroshima · Hiroshima
Hiroshima Flower Festival
ひろしまフラワーフェスティバル
Past edition
3–5 May 2026; next edition awaits announcement
Hiroshima Flower Festival combines a Peace Boulevard parade with performances and events around Peace Memorial Park. Choose the stage or parade section you want to see.
Yamaguchi · Yamaguchi
Yamaguchi Tanabata Lantern Festival
山口七夕ちょうちんまつり
Usual season; next dates not confirmed
Usually 6–7 August
Yamaguchi Tanabata Lantern Festival covers the shopping streets with red lanterns. Performances and events also use separate squares and the Ichinosaka River area.
Kagawa · Takamatsu
Sanuki Takamatsu Festival
さぬき高松まつり
Usual season; next dates not confirmed
Usually August; performance and fireworks dates announced separately
Sanuki Takamatsu Festival brings group dancing, stage shows and harbor events to the city. Downtown and waterfront programs are in different places.
Ehime · Saijo
Saijo Festival
西条祭り
Usual season; next dates not confirmed
Usually mid-October; dates differ by shrine
Saijo Festival is a group of autumn shrine festivals, with danjiri floats and mikoshi. Choose a shrine's program rather than expecting one citywide procession.
Kochi · Kochi
Kochi Yosakoi Festival
よさこい祭り
Usual season; next dates not confirmed
Usually 9–12 August; main performances on 10–11 August
Kochi Yosakoi Festival is the birthplace of the modern Yosakoi dance tradition. Groups perform at multiple city venues, with naruko clappers and varied costumes.
Saga · Karatsu
Karatsu Kunchi
唐津くんち
Usual season; next dates not confirmed
Usually 2–4 November
Karatsu Kunchi brings spectacular hikiyama floats through the former castle town. On 3 November, pulling the floats into the sandy Otabisho is a major highlight.
Nagasaki · Nagasaki
Nagasaki Kunchi
長崎くんち
Upcoming confirmed edition
7–9 October 2026
Nagasaki Kunchi combines shrine offerings with performances shaped by the port city's cultural exchanges. The participating neighborhoods rotate, so the program changes by year.
Kumamoto · Yamaga
Yamaga Lantern Festival
山鹿灯籠まつり
Usual season; next dates not confirmed
Usually 15–16 August; thousand-person dance and fireworks canceled in 2026
Yamaga Lantern Festival is known for dancers wearing golden paper lanterns and offerings to Omiya Shrine. In 2026, the large dance, fireworks and festival-plaza events were canceled; shrine rites continued on a reduced scale.
Oita · Hita
Hita Gion Festival
日田祇園祭
Usual season; next dates not confirmed
Usually July; festival weekend announced by edition
Hita Gion Festival sends ornate floats through Mameda and the Kuma–Takeda districts. The separate station-front gathering has its own date.
Miyazaki · Takachiho
Takachiho Yokagura
高千穂の夜神楽
Usual season; next dates not confirmed
Usually November–February; dates and hosts differ by village
Takachiho Yokagura is an overnight sequence of sacred dance hosted by individual villages. It is different from the shorter visitor performance at Takachiho Shrine.
Kagoshima · Kagoshima
Ohara Festival
おはら祭
Usual season; next dates not confirmed
Usually 2–3 November
Ohara Festival fills Kagoshima's tram streets with coordinated folk dancing. Groups occupy different sections of the city-center route.
Okinawa · Naha
Naha Great Tug of War
那覇大綱挽
Usual season; next dates not confirmed
Usually October; exact tug-of-war date announced by edition
Naha Great Tug of War places an enormous rope across the city streets. The hatagashira flag procession and the tug itself happen in different locations.
Official event calendars for all 47 prefectures
Looking for smaller local festivals or other events? These links open each region’s official tourism calendar. Some calendars are in Japanese.
Hokkaido 北海道 ↗Aomori 青森県 ↗Iwate 岩手県 ↗Miyagi 宮城県 ↗Akita 秋田県 ↗Yamagata 山形県 ↗Fukushima 福島県 ↗Ibaraki 茨城県 ↗Tochigi 栃木県 ↗Gunma 群馬県 ↗Saitama 埼玉県 ↗Chiba 千葉県 ↗Tokyo 東京都 ↗Kanagawa 神奈川県 ↗Niigata 新潟県 ↗Toyama 富山県 ↗Ishikawa 石川県 ↗Fukui 福井県 ↗Yamanashi 山梨県 ↗Nagano 長野県 ↗Gifu 岐阜県 ↗Shizuoka 静岡県 ↗Aichi 愛知県 ↗Mie 三重県 ↗Shiga 滋賀県 ↗Kyoto 京都府 ↗Osaka 大阪府 ↗Hyogo 兵庫県 ↗Nara 奈良県 ↗Wakayama 和歌山県 ↗Tottori 鳥取県 ↗Shimane 島根県 ↗Okayama 岡山県 ↗Hiroshima 広島県 ↗Yamaguchi 山口県 ↗Tokushima 徳島県 ↗Kagawa 香川県 ↗Ehime 愛媛県 ↗Kochi 高知県 ↗Fukuoka 福岡県 ↗Saga 佐賀県 ↗Nagasaki 長崎県 ↗Kumamoto 熊本県 ↗Oita 大分県 ↗Miyazaki 宮崎県 ↗Kagoshima 鹿児島県 ↗Okinawa 沖縄県 ↗
Planning a festival trip to Japan
How can I find festivals during my trip to Japan?
Choose your travel month, prefecture or city to browse the guides. Each guide explains what the festival is known for, where it takes place and how to reach it by train or bus.
Are all the festival dates confirmed?
The guides distinguish confirmed editions, past editions and usual seasons. A past programme does not confirm dates for the following year. Check the linked official programme before booking travel; all event times use Japan Standard Time (JST).
Can I reach festival venues by public transport?
Each guide includes a route from a major city and the nearest useful stations. For moving parades, choose your viewing spot first: the best station depends on which part of the route you want to see.