Japanese Festivals (Matsuri): A Guide to the Year in Celebration

From summer fireworks to lantern-lit processions for the dead, Japan's matsuri turn the calendar loud and visible. Our guides to the great festivals — Gion, Nebuta, Obon — and the yukata, mikoshi and food stalls that fill them.

What a Japanese Matsuri Really Is: The Meaning Behind the Festival
Japanese Festivals

What a Japanese Matsuri Really Is: The Meaning Behind the Festival

3 min read
 Obon: Japan's Summer Festival of Returning Spirits
Japanese Festivals

Obon: Japan's Summer Festival of Returning Spirits

3 min read
 Gion Matsuri: How Kyoto's Great Festival Began as a Plague Ritual
Japanese Festivals

Gion Matsuri: How Kyoto's Great Festival Began as a Plague Ritual

3 min read
 Aomori Nebuta: The Festival of Giant Glowing Warriors
Japanese Festivals

Aomori Nebuta: The Festival of Giant Glowing Warriors

3 min read
 Why Japan Fills the Summer Sky With Fireworks
Japanese Festivals

Why Japan Fills the Summer Sky With Fireworks

3 min read
 Why Japanese Wear Yukata at Summer Festivals
Japanese Festivals

Why Japanese Wear Yukata at Summer Festivals

3 min read
 Mikoshi: Why Japanese Festivals Carry a God Through the Streets
Japanese Festivals

Mikoshi: Why Japanese Festivals Carry a God Through the Streets

3 min read
 Why Koinobori Carp Streamers Fill the Sky Every May in Japan
Japanese Festivals

Why Koinobori Carp Streamers Fill the Sky Every May in Japan

3 min read
 Why Japanese Float Paper Lanterns on Water at Night: The Meaning Behind Tōrō Nagashi
Japanese Festivals

Why Japanese Float Paper Lanterns on Water at Night: The Meaning Behind Tōrō Nagashi

3 min read
 Why Japanese Festival Food Stalls Light Up the Night: The Cultural Heart of Matsuri
Japanese Festivals

Why Japanese Festival Food Stalls Light Up the Night: The Cultural Heart of Matsuri

3 min read
 The Origin of Tanabata: How Japan's Star Festival Began
Japanese Festivals

The Origin of Tanabata: How Japan's Star Festival Began

3 min read
 Setsubun Meaning: Why Japan Celebrates the Bean Throwing Festival
Japanese Festivals

Setsubun Meaning: Why Japan Celebrates the Bean Throwing Festival

3 min read
 Why Japanese Ring Temple Bells 108 Times at New Year: The Meaning Behind the Bronze Joya no Kane Tradition
Japanese Festivals

Why Japanese Ring Temple Bells 108 Times at New Year: The Meaning Behind the Bronze Joya no Kane Tradition

3 min read