What are the major festivals in Japan?

January 6 Firefighters' Association Parade Held on Odaiba Chuoji Road

February

Five days until the first Sunday in February The Snow Festival is held in Sapporo, Hokkaido.

February 3 or 4 "Setsubun" (the day before the first day of spring) On the night of Setsubun, shrines and temples all over the country engage in the scattering of beans to drive away ghosts.

March

March 3 "Girls' Day" Most families with girls purchase sets of dolls and display them in their homes.

April

From April 1 to April 30, the To-odori (cherry blossom dance) is held at the Kaburagane theater in the Gion district of Kyoto.

April 14-15 Takayama Festival Held at Hie Shrine in Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture

May

May 3 or 4 Hakata Dontaku Festival is held in Fukuoka City, Kyushu. Tens of thousands of men and women dressed in colorful costumes sing and dance to the accompaniment of drums and flutes in the streets.

May 11 to October 15 Cormorant Fishing The Nagara River in Gifu City is the most famous place.

May 15 Aoi Festival Jointly organized by Kamigamo and Shimogamo shrines in Kyoto. The magnificent procession is modeled after the ancient rituals of the royal family visiting the shrines for worship.

Third Saturday and Sunday in May The Sansha Festival is held at Asakusa Shrine in Tokyo. Many young people carry small shrines on their shoulders and parade through the streets.

May 17th and 18th Spring Nikko Toshogu Shrine Festival is held at Nikko Toshogu Shrine.

June

June 14 Rice Planting Festival is held at Sumiyoshi Shrine in Osaka.

July

July 1 to 15 Hakata Float Parade is held in Fukuoka City, Kyushu.

July 13-15 Lantern Festival A number of families hang paper lanterns to commemorate the dead.

July 16-17 Gion Festival Sponsored by Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto, this is one of Kyoto's famous festivals, with the best part being the parade of floats on the second day.

July 24-25 Tenjin Festival The venue is Tenmangu Shrine in Osaka.

August

August 2-7 Great Lantern Festival (NEBUTA) A lavish procession hosted by the city of Hirosaki in Kita-Honshu. Every night, many men and women, young and old, parade through the streets carrying large fan-shaped or human-shaped lanterns. The lanterns are painted with famous heroes and beauties from history. The same event is also held in Aomori City. (August 2 to August 7)

August 5 to 7 The Rod and Lantern Festival is held in Akita City, Kita Honshu. Many young people parade through the city carrying paper lanterns arranged on bamboo frames.

August 6-8 Tanabata (Star Festival) A folk event in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture.

August 12-15 Awa Odori (Awa Odori) A traditional dance held in Tokushima City, Shikoku, which is famous throughout Japan. Men, women, and children sing and dance to their hearts' content.

August 16th Jubilee Fire Festival A large zigzag-shaped fire is lit in the darkness of the night on the banks of Mt.

September

September 16 Dysprosium Horseback Riding (Riding and Archery Competition) Held at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine in Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture.

October

October 7-9 OKUNCHI Festival Dragon dance and make-up dance are held at Suwa Shrine in Nagasaki City.

October 9-10 Takayama Festival Held at Sakurazan Hachiman Shrine in Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture.

October 11-13 Gokai Ceremony Held at Honmonji Temple in Tokyo. This is a program to commemorate the memory of Daishonin Lotus. On the evening of the twelfth, those attending parade around with paper flower lanterns.

October 17 Autumn Nikko Toshogu Shrine Festival A grand parade of 1,000 people organized by Nikko Toshogu Shrine.

October 22 Toki no Matsuri (Festival of the Times) A grand procession of about 2,000 to 3,000 people, organized by Kyoto Heian Shrine. They wear brightly colored clothes from each of the major eras in Kyoto over the past thousand years, and it is a big "exhibition" of ancient costumes from all the eras.

November

November 3: A parade of feudal lords is held in Hakone, one of Japan's most famous sightseeing spots, and it is a reenactment of the way feudal lords traveled in those days.

November 15 Shichigosan Festival Parents and their children visit a shrine near them. They pray for the future of their children.

December

December 17 Kasuga Shrine Festival is held at Kasuga Shrine in Nara. Some of the people who participate in the procession are clad in armor and some in ancient costumes.