Japan festival calendar: the best matsuri month by month

Quick answer

• Winter: Sapporo Snow Festival (early February) and New Year shrine visits
• Spring: cherry blossoms, Takayama Spring Festival (mid April), Aoi Matsuri and Sanja Matsuri (May)
• Summer: Kyoto's Gion Matsuri (July), Osaka's Tenjin Matsuri (late July), Aomori Nebuta and Awa Odori (August), fireworks everywhere
• Autumn: Takayama Autumn Festival and Kyoto's Jidai Matsuri (October), autumn leaves
• Book early: festival dates are the first to sell out for hotels, often 6 months ahead

Japan has thousands of festivals, called matsuri. Some are huge and famous, with floats, fireworks and crowds of hundreds of thousands. Others are small local shrine events where you will be one of only a few visitors. Both are worth seeking out. Dates below are usual dates and some move each year, so always check the official site before booking. Not sure when to go? See the month-by-month best time to visit Japan guide.

How to plan around a festival

• Book accommodation first. Hotels in festival cities fill up quickly and prices rise, often months ahead.
• Check the exact dates. Many festivals follow the calendar, such as the third weekend of a month, so the dates change each year.
• Arrive early. For parades and fireworks, good viewing spots fill hours before the start.
• Carry cash. Stalls serve food and drinks, and most take cash only. See our cash and cards guide.
• Respect the event. Do not block processions, and ask before photographing people in ritual roles.
• Plan your trains. Stations get very crowded after fireworks. Leave early or wait it out nearby.

January

• Hatsumode, 1 to 3 January (nationwide). The first shrine visit of the year, with long queues at big shrines such as Meiji Shrine and Fushimi Inari. Many shops and restaurants close.
• Toka Ebisu, 9 to 11 January (Osaka). A lively festival at Imamiya Ebisu Shrine, with prayers for business success.

February

• Sapporo Snow Festival (early February, Sapporo). Huge snow and ice sculptures in Odori Park, lit up at night. See our Hokkaido guide.
• Setsubun, about 3 February (nationwide). People throw beans to chase away bad luck, with big events at temples such as Senso-ji in Tokyo and shrines in Kyoto.
• Yokote Kamakura (mid-February, Akita). Snow huts glowing with candlelight.

March

• Omizutori at Todai-ji (1 to 14 March, Nara). A fire ceremony with huge torches, held at night. See our Nara guide.
• Cherry blossoms start (late March). Tokyo and Kyoto bloom around the last week of March, depending on the year.

April

• Cherry blossom peak (early April). The busiest and most expensive time of year. Book hotels well ahead.
• Takayama Spring Festival (14 to 15 April). Beautifully decorated floats and puppet shows in the old town. See our Takayama guide.
• Golden Week starts around 29 April. Trains and hotels are full across Japan.

May

• Hakata Dontaku (3 to 4 May, Fukuoka). Parades and dancing during Golden Week.
• Aoi Matsuri (15 May, Kyoto). A procession of people in Heian-period costume between the Imperial Palace and the Kamo shrines.
• Sanja Matsuri (third weekend of May, Tokyo). One of Tokyo's biggest festivals, with portable shrines carried through Asakusa.
• Kanda Matsuri (mid-May of odd-numbered years, Tokyo). A grand festival with a large parade, held every other year.

June

• Yosakoi Soran (early June, Sapporo). Colourful dance teams fill the city.
• Hydrangea season. Not a festival, but temples such as Meigetsu-in in Kamakura are beautiful in the rainy season.

July

• Hakata Gion Yamakasa (1 to 15 July, Fukuoka). Teams of men race through the streets at dawn on the final day. See our Fukuoka guide.
• Gion Matsuri (all of July, Kyoto). Japan's most famous festival. The evenings before the main floats parade, around 14 to 16 July and 21 to 23 July, are lantern-lit street parties. The big parades are on 17 and 24 July. See our Kyoto guide.
• Tenjin Matsuri (24 to 25 July, Osaka). Boat processions on the river with fireworks, one of Japan's three great festivals.
• Sumida River Fireworks (last Saturday of July, Tokyo). One of the oldest and most crowded fireworks shows.

August

• Nebuta Matsuri (2 to 7 August, Aomori). Giant lit paper floats and dancers in the streets.
• Tanabata, Sendai (6 to 8 August). Streets hung with huge colourful paper decorations.
• Awa Odori (12 to 15 August, Tokushima). Thousands of dancers fill the streets in Japan's biggest dance festival.
• Obon (13 to 16 August, nationwide). Families return home and travel is very busy. Local bon dances run in many towns. Kyoto's Daimonji bonfire is on 16 August.

September

• Kishiwada Danjiri (mid-September, near Osaka). Wooden floats race through the streets at speed.
• Owara Kaze no Bon (1 to 3 September, Toyama). Slow, elegant dances through the old streets at night.
• Tsukimi. Moon viewing, when many temples and gardens hold evening events. Typhoon risk is highest this month.

October

• Takayama Autumn Festival (9 to 10 October). Floats and a night procession lit by lanterns.
• Nagasaki Kunchi (7 to 9 October). Dragon dances and floats show Nagasaki's mix of cultures.
• Jidai Matsuri and Kurama Fire Festival (22 October, Kyoto). A costume parade through history in the day, and a fire festival at night in Kurama.

November

• Autumn leaves. The best colour is in mid to late November in Kyoto and Tokyo, and the whole country becomes busy.
• Shichi-Go-San (15 November, nationwide). Families take young children in kimono to shrines, and it is lovely to watch at big shrines on weekends.
• Tori-no-Ichi (November, Tokyo). Lively fairs at Otori shrines, where people buy lucky rakes.

December

• Chichibu Night Festival (2 to 3 December). Floats and fireworks on a winter night, about 90 minutes from Tokyo.
• Winter illuminations. Cities such as Tokyo, Osaka and Kobe switch on huge light displays.
• Joya no Kane (31 December, nationwide). Temples ring their bells 108 times at midnight. Many places close from 29 December.

When to book for a festival

The biggest festivals are the first dates to sell out, and hotel prices rise sharply in the host city. Use this as a rule of thumb for when to start looking. It is our own guidance, not an official booking date, and festival dates can shift by a day or two each year, so confirm them on the Japan National Tourism Organization events calendar before you pay.

Festival	Usual dates	Where	Start booking hotels	Where to stay
Sapporo Snow Festival	Early February	Sapporo	3 to 4 months ahead	Hokkaido guide
Takayama Spring Festival	14 and 15 April	Takayama	4 to 6 months ahead	Takayama guide
Aoi Matsuri	15 May	Kyoto	2 to 3 months ahead	Where to stay in Kyoto
Sanja Matsuri	Third weekend of May	Tokyo	2 to 3 months ahead	Where to stay in Tokyo
Gion Matsuri	July, main parades on the 17th and 24th	Kyoto	4 to 6 months ahead	Where to stay in Kyoto
Tenjin Matsuri	24 and 25 July	Osaka	3 to 4 months ahead	Where to stay in Osaka
Nebuta Matsuri	2 to 7 August	Aomori	6 months or more ahead	Tohoku guide
Awa Odori	12 to 15 August	Tokushima	6 months or more ahead	Shikoku guide
Takayama Autumn Festival	9 and 10 October	Takayama	4 to 6 months ahead	Takayama guide
Jidai Matsuri	22 October	Kyoto	4 to 6 months ahead	Where to stay in Kyoto

If your first choice is full, book a base in a nearby city and travel in. Kyoto and Osaka are about 15 minutes apart by shinkansen, so staying in one for a festival in the other works well. Our JR Pass guide and Japan itineraries can help you fit a festival into a longer trip.

Choosing a festival for your trip

• Best for first-timers: Gion Matsuri in July or Sanja Matsuri in May.
• Best for photos: Nebuta Matsuri, Takayama festivals and the Sapporo Snow Festival.
• Best for dancing: Awa Odori and Owara Kaze no Bon.
• Best for fireworks: Sumida River in Tokyo, Tenjin Matsuri in Osaka and summer shows across Japan.
• Quietest: small local shrine festivals. Ask your hotel what is on while you are in town.

Use the travel month setting in our itinerary maker to see what to expect where you are going.

Opening hours, prices and transport details change. Check the official sources before you travel: Japan National Tourism Organization events calendar.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best festival in Japan for visitors?

Gion Matsuri in Kyoto in July is the most famous, and Sanja Matsuri in Tokyo in May is great for first-timers. For spectacle, Aomori Nebuta in August and the Sapporo Snow Festival in February are hard to beat.

Do festival dates change each year?

Many do. Some are on fixed dates, such as Aoi Matsuri on 15 May, while others follow a weekend or the lunar calendar. Check the official site a few months ahead.

How far ahead should I book a hotel for a festival?

As early as you can, ideally 4 to 6 months for the biggest events such as Gion Matsuri, Nebuta and Awa Odori. Hotels in festival cities fill up first.

Are Japanese festivals crowded?

The big ones are very crowded. Arrive early, watch from side streets and expect long queues at stations afterwards. Smaller local festivals are much calmer.

Can I join in at a Japanese festival?

Often yes. At bon dances and some street dances, visitors can join in. At processions, watch respectfully and follow the signs and staff instructions.