Japan Festivals : Japan  

Japan Festivals - Travel guide

Japan

Festivals

Japan was originally a country of farmers, and most of its festivals are connected with the agricultural calendar. Every region has its own Autumn festival to thank the local deity for the harvest and to pray for an even better one next year.

The Mikoshi

The Mikoshi is a portable Shinto shrine which is taken out and paraded through the streets of the town during festivals. The spirit of the local deity is said to come down and reside in the mikoshi during these proceedings.

The local people carry the mikoshi on their shoulders. The clothes they wear for this were originally modelled on the costume of a fireman (Tobi) of the Edo era.

The Dashi

The Dashi is a festival float with wheels, decorated with flowers and dolls. It is paraded through the streets in the same way as mikoshi, and the local deity is believed to descend to the Hoko (decorative halberd) on the top of the float.

The Namahage of Akita

The Namahage of Akita is a demon who chastises lazy people. He is not considered an evil demon but one who brings happiness.

Hanagasa-matsuri

This festival is held on August 6 and 7 in Yamagata City. It is highlighted by a gala parade of people carrying umbrellas with flowers on top.

During festivals, people dress up as deities and give various performances designed to appease the gods and induce them to grant a good harvest or to drive away evil spirits.

The Nebuta

The Nebuta festival takes place from August 2^nd to 7^th in Aomori. In it the Nebuta, a figure made of decorated paper stretched over a framework of bamboo, wood and wire with a lantern inside it, is paraded through the city amid crowds of people. Nebuta represents the god of sleep, equivalent to the Greek god Morpheus.

The Kanto
In the Kanto festival in Akata, which takes place from August 4^th to 7^th, forty-six lanterns are mounted on a bamboo pole about ten meters long.

The Tanabata
The Tanabata festival in Sendai is from August 6^th to 8^th.

The Gion
The Gion festival in Kyoto is the festival of Yasaka shrine. It lasts about one month, from July 1^st to 29^th, and on July 17^th, decorated floats called Yama and Hoko are paraded through the city.

The Okunchi
Okunchi festival takes place from October 7^th to 9^th in Nagasaki.