This Tokyo Bon Odori festival features synchronized folk dancing and taiko drumming. Participants dance around a central yagura tower at the West Exit of Ebisu Station.
A festival in Hachinohe City, the Hachinohe Sansha Taisai features parades with large, mechanically expanding floats. The event also includes a rare form of traditional polo.
A summer festival in Aomori City, the Nebuta Matsuri features parades of large, illuminated floats depicting mythical figures, accompanied by haneto dancers.
A harvest festival in Akita, the Kanto Matsuri features performers balancing large, lantern-adorned bamboo poles on their bodies without using their hands.
A dance festival in Yamagata City, the Hanagasa Festival is a parade from August 5-7. Ten thousand participants dance using safflower-adorned straw hats.
A summer festival in Hachioji, this event features a procession of 19 carved floats. Other activities include musical float battles, taiko drumming, geisha performances, and a lion dance.
A major Tokyo festival, it features a procession where mikoshi carriers are splashed with water by spectators. A larger version of the festival occurs every three years.
A large dance festival in Tokushima, Awa Odori is held annually from August 12-15. Groups perform choreographed street dances with distinct male and female styles.
