Japanese festivals, or , are traditional festive occasions often celebrated with dance and music in Japan. The origin of the word matsuri is related to the ; there are theories that the word matsuri is derived from meaning "to wait (for the kami to descend)", meaning "to make offerings to the kami", and meaning "to obey the kami". The theory that it is derived from matsurau is the most popular.
It is estimated that there are between 100,000 and 300,000 festivals across Japan, generating an annual economic impact of 530 billion yen as of 2019. As of 2024, 33 of these festivals have been registered as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists as "Yama, Hoko, Yatai, float festivals in Japan". Various folk dances, costume processions, kagura, dengaku, bugaku, and noh performed at festivals are also registered as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists. For example, 41 folk dances including bon odori from various regions of Japan are registered as "Furyu-odori" and 10 costume processions including namahage are registered as "Raihō-shin".
Japanese festivals reflect the unique religious beliefs of the Japanese people, who worship and violent kami, based on the background of Japan's frequent natural disasters. Based on the syncretism of Shinto and Buddhism, Japanese people worship not only the spirits that inhabit all things and the souls of their ancestors, but also terrifying onryō and violent kami that protect people from epidemics and natural disasters. For example, Gion Matsuri, Tenjin Matsuri, and Kanda Matsuri, which are considered the three major festivals in Japan, worship the onryō of Gozu Tennō, Sugawara no Michizane, and Taira no Masakado, respectively, and pray for good health and protection from natural disasters. Since these festivals are held in urban areas, each attracts hundreds of thousands to over a million spectators each year. On the other hand, Gion Matsuri, Aoi Matsuri, and Jidai Matsuri are considered the three major festivals in Kyoto. Gion Matsuri attracts huge crowds to see the procession of huge and , while Aoi Matsuri and Jidai Matsuri attract crowds to see the procession of people dressed in period costumes.
The Aomori Nebuta Matsuri and the Tokushima Awa Odori are large, historic festivals in local cities that attract more than 2 million visitors each year, and more than 1 million visitors each year, respectively. According to a 2022 survey, they ranked first and second, respectively, in recognition in Japan, with the Gion Matsuri in third place.
There are also many Japanese festivals in which the kami are prayed to for a good harvest of rice and other crops. In agricultural festivals, different ceremonies are held in each of the four seasons, and festivals are classified into different types, such as and , according to their significance. In general, festivals held in the spring pray for a good harvest for the year, festivals held in the summer pray for rice and crops to be free from pests and storm damage, festivals held in the fall offer gratitude for the harvest, and festivals held in the winter pray for a good harvest in the new year.
Many secular and modern festivals are also held, with the Sapporo Snow Festival attracting 2.73 million visitors in 2019.
Festivals (matsuri) related to agriculture There are many Japanese festivals in which the kami are prayed to for a good harvest of rice and other crops. These festivals are divided into various types according to their significance and ritual practices, the most representative of which are as follows. Typical spring festival practices are and . In minakuchi-sai, on the day of planting, soil is piled at the water intake of the rice field, seasonal flowers and twigs are placed, and sake and baked rice are offered to the mountain kami. During otaue-matsuri, young women called () enter the rice field to plant rice seedlings and pray for a good harvest. Typical summer festival practices are and . In mushi okuri, torches are lit at night and straw dolls with pests tied to them are floated or thrown into the river to pray for the repulsion of pests, while in amagoi, dances are dedicated to kami and fires are lit to pray for rain. The typical fall festival practices are and . In niiname-sai, new grains are offered to the kami at the imperial court and at Shinto shrines throughout Japan to thank them for the harvest, and in aki-matsuri, farmers in rural villages thank the kami of the rice fields and send the kami back to the mountains. The typical winter festival practices are and . In sagicho or dondoyaki, and other New Year's decorations are burned and mochi are roasted and eaten over the flames, and in tasaburi, farm work is simulated in the Shinto shrine to pray for the next year's kami harvest.
Local festivals (matsuri)
is the Japanese word for a festival or holiday. In Japan, festivals are usually sponsored by a local shrine or temple, though they can be secular.
Festivals are often based around one event, with food stalls, entertainment, and carnival games to keep people entertained. Some are based around temples or shrines, others hanabi (fireworks), and still others around contests where the participants sport loin cloths (see: Hadaka Matsuri).
There are no specific matsuri days for all of Japan; dates vary from area to area, and even within a specific area, but festival days do tend to cluster around traditional holidays such as Setsubun or Obon. Almost every locale has at least one matsuri in late summer/early autumn, usually related to the paddy harvest. Umadashi Matsuri is an event typically held during fall festivals.
Notable matsuri often feature processions which may include elaborate floats. Preparation for these processions is usually organized at the level of neighborhoods, or machi. Prior to these, the local kami may be ritually installed in mikoshi and paraded through the streets.
One can always find in the vicinity of a matsuri booths selling souvenirs and food such as takoyaki, and games, such as Goldfish scooping. Karaoke contests, sumo matches, and other forms of entertainment are often organized in conjunction with matsuri. If the festival is next to a lake, renting a boat is also an attraction.
Favorite elements of the most popular matsuri, such as the Nada no Kenka Matsuri of Himeji or the Neputa Matsuri of Hirosaki, are often broadcast on television for the entire nation to enjoy.
List of famous matsuri
Name Matsuri Note Place Aoi Held at Shimogamo Shrine and Kamigamo Shrine in May Kyoto Atsuta Held at Atsuta Shrine in June Nagoya Awa Odori Held at Tokushima, Tokushima in August Tokushima, Tokushima Dontaku Held on 3–4 May Fukuoka Gion Held in July Kyoto Hadaka Held in February Okayama Hakata Gion Yamakasa Held at Kushida-jinja in July Fukuoka Hōnen Held at Tagata Shrine in March Komaki Jidai Held on October 22 Kyoto Kanamara Held at Kanayama shrine in April Kawasaki Kanda Held at Kanda Myojin shrine in May Tokyo Kanto Held on August 3–7 Akita Kishiwada Danjiri held in September KishiwadaKumagaya Uchiwa Festivalheld on July 19–23SaitamaNagasaki Kunchiheld on 7–9 OctoberNagasaki Miki Autumn Harvest Festival held at Ōmiya Hachiman Shrine in October Miki Nada no Kenka (ja) held at Matsubara Hachiman Shrine in October 14–15 Himeji Nagoya held in Hisaya Ōdori Park in Sakae, Nagoya Nagoya Nebuta held from August 2–7 AomoriOjima Neputa Festivalheld on August 14–15Gunma Sanja held at Asakusa Shrine in May Tokyo Sannō held at Hie Shrine in June Tokyo Tanabata held on 6–8 August Sendai Tenjin held at Ōsaka Tenman-gū in July Osaka Wakakusa Yamayaki held at Nara in fourth Saturday of January Nara Yosakoi Matsuri held in Kōchi in August Kōchi Yotaka held at Tonami, Toyama in June Toyama
Sapporo Snow Festival (Hokkaido) Sapporo Snow Festival is one of the largest festivals of the year in Sapporo, held in February for one week. It began in 1950 when high school students built snow statues in Odori Park, central Sapporo. The event is now very large and commercialized. About a dozen large sculptures are built for the festival along with around 100 smaller snow and ice sculptures. Several concerts and other events are also held.
Lake Towada Snow Festival This lake festival is held in the beginning of February. Held in the town of Yasumiya, this festival is on the south side of Lake Towada (near the wooden statues). This festival is open all day, but at 5 pm one can enjoy activities such as going through a snow maze, exploring a Japanese igloo, and eat foods from Aomori and Akita prefectures. There is a fireworks show and events held on an ice stage.
Aomori Nebuta Festival This festival is held annually and features colorful lantern floats called nebuta which are pulled through the streets of Central Aomori. This festival is held from about August 2–7 every year. This event attracts millions of visitors. During this festival, 20 large nebuta floats are paraded through the streets near Aomori JR rail station. These floats are constructed of wooden bases and metal frames. Japanese papers, called washi, are painted onto the frames. These amazing floats are finished off with the historical figures or kabuki being painted on the paper. These floats can take up to a year to complete. There is a dance portion of this festival. There are haneto dancers and they wear special costumes for this dance. Everyone is welcome to purchase their own haneto costume that they may too join in on the fun (Mishima, Aomori Nebuta Festival).
Nango Summer Jazz Festival This event is held every year. Thousands of artists from all over Tohoku and even further regions come to Nango to perform. This is the largest open-air jazz concert held in Tohoku region. This festival began in 1989, in a small venue indoors. There was such a large response from the fans that it was expanded into a large annual festival. One must purchase tickets for this event (Bernard, 2007). This summer jazz festival does not cost anything but potential members of the public still need to receive a ticket to enter the event.
Cherry blossom festivals Japan celebrates the entire season of the cherry blossoms. There are festivals in nearly every region of Japan, and some locations, food is available or a park may be decorated with lanterns. Some locations of cherry blossom festivals include: Yaedake Cherry Blossom Festival in Okinawa. This festival takes place from late January – mid February Matsuyama Shiroyama Koen Cherry Blossom Festival in Matsuyama-city, Ehime. This festival takes place early April. Matsue Jozan Koen Festival in Matsue-city, Shimane. This festival has a feature of illuminating the cherry blossom trees at night. This festival takes place late March-early April. Tsuyama Kakuzan Koen Cherry Blossom Festival in Tsuyama-city, Okayama. Japanese tea ceremonies and music performers are held at these festivals. This festival is held early-mid April. Takato Joshi Koen Cherry Blossom Festival in Takato-machi Ina-city, Nagano prefecture. The trees in this region have pink blossoms. This festival is held early April. Takada Koen Cherry Blossom Festival in Joetsu-city, Niigata prefecture. This festival is held early-mid April. Kitakai Tenshochi Cherry Blossom Festival in Kitakami-city, Iwate. This festival is held mid April-early May. Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival held in Hirosaki Koen Hirosaki-city, Aomori prefecture. This festival is held late April-early May (Mishima, Cherry Blossom Festivals 2010).
Outside Japan