Events and Festivals in Japan

Mongolian Spring Festival

May 4 〜 May 5

The hawarinbayaru, which means “Spring Festival” in Mongolian, is held annually in May to celebrate Mongolian culture, art,…

May Tokyo Sumo Tournament

May 12 〜 May 26

Six major sumo tournaments (called honbasho) are held during the year—one on each odd month, each taking place…

Aoi Matsuri

May 15 / 10:30 AM 〜 5:00 PM

The Aoi Matsuri (葵祭) or the “Hollyhock Festival” is one of Kyoto’s three major festivals (the others being…

Sapporo Lilac Festival

Mid 〜 Late May 2024

The Sapporo Lilac Festival began in 1959 and the lilac tree was designated the official tree of city…

Sanja Matsuri

Mid 〜 Late May 2024

Held annually on the third weekend of May, Sanja Matsuri is probably Tokyo’s biggest festival. It celebrates the…

Asakusa Yabusame Archery

Late May 2024

Yabusame (horseback archery) has its roots in the Kamakura period when samurai used the competition to improve their skills…

Sanno Matsuri

Early 〜 Mid Jun 2024

The Sanno Festival (山王祭) is the last of Tokyo’s major festivals and one of the three great festivals…

Kugayama Firefly Festival

Early Jun 2024

Kugayama’s annual firefly festival has been going for over twenty years now and is typically held on the…

Tokyo International Toy Show

Early Jun 2024

This event has been going since 1962 and today sees about 200 vendors (from both within Japan and…

Kyoto Gion Festival

Jul 1 〜 Jul 31

Kyoto’s Gion Festival (京都祇園祭, Kyoto Gion Matsuri) is the city’s biggest festival and one of the most famous…

A calendar of all the major events and festivals in Japan. Wherever possible, the link to the event’s official website is provided and visitors are advised to confirm scheduling details on the official website before attending to ensure there have not been any last minute changes.