This annual Kyoto festival, held on May 15, features a procession of over 500 people in Heian Period costumes traveling from the Imperial Palace to the Kamo Shrines.
An annual festival in Kobe held in May, the Kobe Matsuri features a large main parade with samba teams, along with markets and live stage performances.
A religious festival in Kyoto, the Gion Matsuri occurs in July. It features two main parades with large traditional floats, along with evening street events called yoiyama.
A fire festival in Wakayama, the Nachi Fire Festival on July 14 involves carrying large torches to a waterfall to purify portable shrines in a ritual for returning deities.
An annual festival in Osaka, the Tenjin Matsuri occurs on July 24-25. It features land and river processions with boats, ritual drumming, and a large fireworks display.
A lantern festival in Nara, the Mantoro involves lighting over 3,000 historic lanterns at Kasuga Taisha Shrine. The event is held twice a year in February and August.
A bonfire festival in Kyoto, Daimonji Gozan no Okuribi is held on August 16. Five fires are lit on mountains to guide ancestral spirits after the Obon holiday.
A festival in Kishiwada City, the Danjiri Matsuri involves teams pulling large, carved wooden floats at high speeds around corners, followed by a slower, lantern-lit evening parade.
A fire festival in Kurama, Kyoto, on October 22 features a procession of people carrying large flaming torches and portable shrines through the village.
A Kyoto festival held on October 22, the Jidai Matsuri is a historical parade with participants in costumes representing eras from the city’s 1,100-year history.
