-There are countless local festivals (祭り、matsuri) in Japan because almost every shrine celebrates one of its own. Most festivals are held annually and celebrate the shrine's deity or a seasonal or historical event. Some festival are held over several days.
-An important element of Japanese festivals are processions, in which the local shrine's kami、神 (Shinto deity) is carried through the town in mikoshi、御輿(palanquins). It is the only time of the year when the kami leaves the shrine to be carried around town. Many festivals also feature decorated floats (山車、dashi), which are pulled through the town, accompanied by drum and flute music by the people sitting on the floats. Every festival has its own characteristics. While some festivals are calm and meditative, many are energetic and noisy.
Festivals Throughout the Year: (From: http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/festivals/)
January:
| 3rd |
| Fukuoka | |||
| 6th |
| Tokyo | |||
| 7th |
| Fukuoka | |||
| 9th~11th |
| Osaka | |||
| Fourth Saturday |
| Nara | |||
| The Sunday closest to January 15th |
| Kyoto | |||
| 17th |
| Akita |
| For 7 days, starting in the second week |
| Hokkaido | |||
| 3rd |
| Nara | |||
| 15th & 16th |
| Akita | |||
| Third Saturday |
| Okayama | |||
| 17th~20th |
| Aomori |
| 1st~14th |
| Nara | |||
| Weekend in mid-March |
| Shiga | |||
| Weekend in mid-March |
| Kumamoto |
| Second Sunday ~ Third Sunday |
| Kanagawa | |||
| 14th & 15th |
| Gifu | |||
| 16th & 17th |
| Tochigi |
May:
| 3rd & 4th |
| Fukuoka | |||
| 3rd~5th |
| Shizuoka | |||
| 17th & 18th |
| Nara | |||
| 11th ~ October 15th |
| Gifu | |||
| The Saturday and Sunday closest to May 15th |
| Tokyo | |||
| 15th |
| Kyoto | |||
| 17th & 18th |
| Tochigi | |||
| Third Sunday and preceding Friday and Saturday |
| Tokyo | |||
| Third Sunday |
| Kyoto |
June:
| 1st & 2nd |
| Kyoto | |||
| 14th |
| Osaka | |||
| Second Saturday |
| Iwate | |||
| mid-June |
| Tokyo |
| 1st~15th |
| Fukuoka | |||
| 14th |
| Wakayama | |||
| 1st~31st |
| Kyoto | |||
| 22nd~24th |
| Ehime | |||
| Last Saturday, Sunday and Monday |
| Fukushima | |||
| 24th & 25th |
| Osaka | |||
| Late July ~ Early August (June 17th according to the lunar calendar) |
| Hiroshima | |||
| Last Saturday (held in case of light rain but postponed if the weather is bad) |
| Tokyo |
August:
| [Aomori Nebuta Matsuri] : 2nd~7th [Hirosaki Neputa Matsuri] : 1st~7th |
| Aomori | |||
| Mid-July ~ Early September |
| Gifu | |||
| 3rd ~ 6th |
| Akita | |||
| 6th |
| Hiroshima | |||
| 5th ~ 7th |
| Yamagata | |||
| 6th~8th |
| Miyagi | |||
| 12th~15th |
| Tokushima | |||
| 15th & 16th |
| Kumamoto | |||
| 16th |
| Kyoto | |||
| 26th & 27th |
| Aichi |
| 1st~3rd |
| Toyama | |||
| 14th~16th |
| Kanagawa |
| 7th~9th |
| Nagasaki | |||
| For three days in early October |
| Hokkaido | |||
| 9th & 10th |
| Gifu | |||
| 11th~13th |
| Tokyo | |||
| 14th~15th |
| Hyogo | |||
| 16th~17th |
| Tochigi | |||
| 22nd (postponed in case of rain) |
| Kyoto | |||
| 22nd (postponed in case of rain) |
| Kyoto |
| 3rd |
| Kanagawa | |||
| 2nd~4th |
| Saga | |||
| The days of the Tori or Rooster in November (the date changes each year, so please check the Japanese calendar) |
| Tokyo |
| 2nd & 3rd |
| Saitama | |||
| 14th |
| Tokyo | |||
| 17th~19th |
| Tokyo | |||
| 15th~18th |
| Nara | |||
| 31st |
| Akita | |||
| 31st |
| Kyoto |
February:
| 3rd or 4th |
|
| 3rd |
|
| 8th |
|
| 7th |
| ||
| 13th-15th |
|
| 15th |
|
These are some National Holidays:
January 1 - New Year's Day (Ganjitsu)
The second Monday in January - Adult's Day (Seijin-no hi)
February 11 - National Founding Day (Kenkoku Kinen-no hi)
March 20 or 21 - Vernal Equinox (Shunbun-no hi)
April 29 - Showa Day (Showa-no hi)
May 3 - Constitution Memorial Day (Kenpou Kinenbi)
May 4 - Greenery Day (Midori-no hi)
May 5 - Children's Day (Kodomo-no hi)
The third Monday in July - Marine Day (Umi-no hi)
The third Monday in September - Respect-for-the-Aged Day (Keirou-no hi)
September 23 or 24 - Autumnal Equinox (Shuubun-no hi)
The second Monday in October - Health/Sports Day (Taiiku-no hi)
November 3 - Culture Day (Bunka-no hi)
November 23 - Labor Thanksgiving Day (Kinrou Kansha-no hi)
December 23 - Emperor's Birthday (Tennou Tanjoubi)
When a national holiday falls on Sunday, the next Monday becomes a holiday.
-The more you know~
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