| |
Discount
Hotel Rates
Our offer can be up to 60% discount of hotel rack rate.
(Please click on the district to see the special offer
of hotels.) |
| |
Spring Festivals
and Events
The year's round of festivals
begins with the rite of Omizutori at Nigatsudo Hall in
Todaiji Temple in Nara. On the night of March 12th, monks
run about on the gallery of the hall brandishing flaming
pine torches. |
|
|
On March 3rd, little girls throughout
Japan thrill to the joys of Hinamatsuri, or Dolls Festival.
The Buddha's Birthday, or Hana Matsuri, is held on April
8th in all Buddhist temples.
Spring is the time of kite flying. On May 3rd-5th, Odakoage,
a kite-flying festival, takes place in Hamamatsu.
Dating from the 6th century, the Aoi Festival of Kyoto
takes place on May 15th, and features an elaborate procession
of men and women in traditional garb between the ancient
shrines of Shimogamo and Kamigamo.
|
|
| |
 |
The Spring Festival
of the Toshogu Shrine at Nikko on May 17th-18th
is a parade of some 1,200 elaborately garbed participants
in samurai costume.The Sania Matsuri of Tokyo, along
with the Sanno Matsuri and the Kanda Matsuri, is
one of the city's three great festivals. Held near
the Asakusa Kannon Temple of Tokyo on the third
weekend of May, the festival features processions
of over 1 00 Omikoshi, portable shrines. |
|
| |
| National Holidays |
| March 21 (or
20) |
Vernal Equinox
Day |
| April 29 |
Greenery Day |
| May 3 |
Constitution
Memorial Day |
| May 5 |
Children's
Day |
| |
| Festivals and Other
Events |
| March
13 |
Kasuga
Matsuri (Festival) of Kasuga Shrine in Nara
stages a 1,000-year-old classic dance. |
| Mid-March |
Second Sumo
Tournament, Osaka. |
| April
1-30 |
Miyako
Odori or Cherry Dance, Kyoto. |
| April
14-15 |
Takayama
Matsuri of Hie Shrine in Takayama, with a
parade of gorgeous floats. |
| April
16-17 |
Yayol Matsuri
of Futarasan Shrine in Nikko. |
| May
3-4 |
Hakata
Dontaku in Fukuoka features a parade of legendary
gods on horseback. |
| May
11 |
Cormorant
fishing on the Nagara River, Gifu. (Until
October 15)
|
| Mid-May |
Third Sumo
Tournament, Tokyo |
| Third
Sun. of May |
Mifune
Matsuri on the Oi River, Kyoto, featuring
a parade of ancient boats. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Summer
Festivals and Events
The Tanabata Festival
is celebrated nationwide on July 7th, when legend has
it that the separated star lovers, Altair and Vega,
can meet for one day across the Milky Way. Sendai's
Tanabata Festival is probably Japan's most famous one,
and is held on August 7th.
|
|
|
 |
The
Gion Matsuri of Yasaka Shrine, Kyoto, held throughout
July, is probably the most famous festival in Japan. The
event peaks on July 17, when a procession of huge wheeled
floats is drawn through the streets.
During the Bon Festival on July 13th-1 5th (August in
some areas), various memorial services are offered to
the spirits of the ancestral souls. Neighbors gather throughout
the country in local festivities to dance at this time.
In the small town of Tsuwano in Shimane Prefecture, the
Sagi-mai festival held on July 20th and 27th draws many
spectators to its unique "heron dancing." Similar
dancing can be seen at Kyoto's Yasaka Shrine on July 7th. |
| |
One of the three
great summer festivals of northern Japan, the Nebuta
Matsuri takes place from August 2nd-7th in the city
of Aomori, as does the Neputa Matsuri in Hirosaki
from August lst-7th. Huge papier-mach6 figures are
drawn on floats through the streets.
From August 5th-7th, the citizens of Akita City
stage the Kanto Matsuri, or Pole of Lanterns Festival.
Individuals carry 10-meter-long poles holding 40
to 50 lighted paper lanterns in a festive procession
and performing fancy steps.
From August 12th-1 5th, the Awa Odori folk dance
in Tokushima enlivens the entire city with singing
and dancing. |
|
|
| |
| National
Holidays |
| July
20 |
Maritime
Day |
| |
| Festivals
and Other Events |
| June
10-1 6 |
Sanno
Matsuri of Hie Shrine in Tokyo features a
procession of portable shrines through the busy
streets of the Akasaka District. |
| Early
July |
Fourth
Sumo Tournament, Nagoya. |
| July
14 |
Nachi
Himatsuri or Fire Festival of Nachi Shrine,
Nachi-Katsuura features the carrying of 12 giant
torches by white-robed priests. |
| July
1-15 |
Hakata
Yamagasa in Fukuoka peaks on the 15th with
a parade of giant floats. |
| July
24-25 |
Tenjin
Matsuri of Temmangu Shrine in Osaka features
a parade of floating shrines on the Dojima River. |
| August
16 |
Daimonji
Bonfire on hills overlooking Kyoto. |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Autumn Festivals and Events
On September 16th, demonstrations
of Yabusame, or horseback archery, are held at Tsurugaok
Hachimangu Shrine in Kamakura.
The Okunchi Festival on October 7th-9th of Suwa Shrine
in Nagasaki features a dragon dance of Chinese origin
and floats with umbrella-shaped decorations.
The city of Nagoya puts on its Nagoya City Festival
in mid-October, and features a very long parade that
centers on impersonations of famous historical figures
of Japan.
At the Kenka Matsuri of Matsubara Shrine in Himeji,
held from October 14th-15th, events reach a climax on
the 15th with a lively Omikoshi, or portable shrine,
procession.
Once again featuring troops of samurai warriors in full
regalia, the Autumn Festival of Toshogu Shrine in Nikko
takes place on October 17th.
|
|
| |
|
|
The Jidai Matsuri
of Kyoto on October 22nd capsulizes the epochs in
Kyoto's long history from the 8th to 19th centuries.
On October 22nd, a long procession of people carries
lighted torches to the gates of Yuki Shrine in Mt.Kurama,
Kyoto, in celebration of the Fire Festival of Kurama.
During ceremonies held at Izumo Taisha near Matsue
in Shimane Prefecture in mid-October, all the deities
of Japan are said to gather at the shrine which
gives the festival its name.
On Shichi-go-san day on November 15th, children
aged 3, 5 and 7 are taken to shrines in appreciation
of their good health given them by the guardian
gods. Children are usually dressed up in colorful
Kimono. |
|
| |
| National
Holidays |
| September
15 |
Respect-for-the-Aged
Day |
| September
23(or24) |
Autumnal
Equinox Day |
| October
(The second Monday) |
Health-Sports
Day |
| November
3 |
Culture
Day |
| November
23 |
Labor
Thanksgiving Day |
| |
| Festivals
and Other Events |
| October
9-10 |
Takayama
Matsuri of Hachimangu Shrine is noted for
its parade of colorful floats. |
| October
11-13 |
Oeshiki
of Hommonji Temple, Tokyo, remembers the Buddhist
leader, Nichiren. |
| November
2-4 |
Okunchl
of Karatsu Shrine is famous for its parade of
colorful floats. |
| November
3 |
Daimyo
Gyoretsu in Hakone is a faithful reproduction
of a feudal lord's procession |
| Mid-November |
Tor!-no-ichi,
or Rake Fair, of Otori Shrine in Tokyo. |
|
| |
|
| |
Winter
Festivals and Events |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
New Year's Day is the most
important holiday of the year, and throughout Japan,
people flock to shrines to pray in the new year with
their families.
On New Year's Eve, the people of the Oga Peninsula in
Akita Prefecture put on the unique Namahage Festival,
in which young men dressed as demons go from door to
door frightening children into behaving themselves.
In Tokyo, on January 6th the city's firemen put on the
Dezomeshiki, or the New Year's Parade of Firemen, and
perform a number of dazzling acrobatic tricks atop traditional
bamboo firefighting ladders.
Also in the far northern prefecture of Akita, several
towns of the region hold Bonten Festivals. The largest
festival is held in the town of Yokote on February 16th-1
7th, when 3-meter-tall wooden poles draped with colored
streamers are paraded through the streets.
|
| |
The Snow Festival
of Sapporo in Hokkaido, usually held during the
second week of February centers on a competition
of massive snow sculptures.
On the third weekend in February, in the town of
Yokote and others of the Akita region, the Kamakura
Matsuri takes place, featuring small snow huts that
are constructed around the region's homes and down
its side streets.
Setsubun, or Bean-throwing Festival, takes place
on February 3rd or 4th and involves the casting
out of demons across the land by throwing beans
at them.
On the 3rd Saturday of February, Saidaiji Temple,
Okayama, holds its Eyo or Hadaka Matsuri, in which
a mob of nearly naked young men fight for a pair
of sacred wands tossed to them in the temple. |
|
|
| |
| National
Holidays |
| December
23 |
The
Emperor's Birthday |
| January
1 |
New
Year's Day |
| January
(The second Monday) |
Coming-of-Age
Day |
| February
11 |
National
Foundation Day |
| |
| Festivals
and Other Events |
| December
15-18 |
On-matsuri
of Kasuga Shrine Nara, featuring a masquerade
procession. |
| December
17-19 |
Hagoita-ichi
(Toshi-no-ichi) Asakusa Kannon Temple in Tokyo.
Battledore fair. |
| December
31 |
Okera
Mairi of Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto. Sacred fire
ceremony. |
| January
9-11 |
Toka
Ebisu of lmamiya Ebis Shrine, Osaka |
| January
15 |
Grass
Fire Ceremony on Mt. Wakakusayama, Nara. |
| February
3 or 4 |
Lantern
Festival of Kasuga Shrine, Nara. |
|
|
