Festivals are held in Japan at shrines, temples, and other locations to commemorate seasonal or historical events. On festival days, shop owners set up “yatai,” or outside stands, on the sidewalk, in parks, or along routes leading to shrines. Regardless of the type of festival, they all seem to have wide varieties of foods available. Festivals at shrines, temples, and other locations to commemorate seasonal or historical events.Check this post for Festivals to See in Japan.
Japan Food Festivals
Every opportunity for a family or community to gather and eat appears to be embraced by Japanese society. Social events are an essential part of Japanese culture, and finding a food festival is one of the best ways for a tourist to taste it! Food festivals occur almost every month of the year, with the Ramen-expo being the most well-known. Osaka has set aside several days to celebrate ramen, one of Japan’s most popular dishes. Even though Ramen-expo is still relatively new (founded in 2013), it attracts over 110,000 people worldwide each year. These tourists enjoy the alluring aroma as well as a hot, fresh bowl of ramen from one of the numerous vendors at a reasonable price in December. Adults pay roughly $2.50 to attend, while elementary and junior high students pay about $0.70. So, if you are going to this festival with an empty stomach, do not worry, a plate of ramen will make you satisfied.
The Oyster Festival is another noteworthy food festival. One of Hiroshima’s most popular dishes is oysters. The annual Miyajima Oyster Festival takes place in February on Miyajima, an island off the coast of Hiroshima. Fresh oysters are simple due to the abundance of oyster farms in this area. You can get one or two oysters for $1-2 each, which is a great deal! Oyster nabe, hot oyster stew, and oyster udon are also available at the event. So grab an oyster and a drink or sit back and relax while watching traditional folk tales, taiko, and other acts at the Oyster Festival.
Japan Anime Festival
AnimeJapan is the world’s largest anime convention. It was originally known as the Tokyo International Anime Fair. The Association of Japanese Animations and the Association of Manga Publishers host AnimeJapan. It is organized by a large group comprising 19 animation studios. Several booths are dedicated to various types of anime from Japan and throughout the show.
At numerous booths, anime fans may get the opportunity to play Japanese anime in video slots, meet some of their favourite anime artists and character actors who voice their favourite characters. They also get to meet cosplayers costumed like Sailormoon, Natsu from Fairy Tail, or even Ichigo’s Zanpakuto from Bleach and pick up special anime items like Yugioh cards and Light’s Deathnote. AnimeJapan is the ideal method to take your anime fandom to the next level if you enjoyed Anime Expo in the United States. AnimeJapan has become one of the world’s premier anime festivals because of its excellent committee lineup.
AnimeJapan’s official shop is an excellent location to buy merchandise featuring your favourite anime characters. Many of Japan’s greatest cosplay artists show off their latest looks during AnimeJapan. If you can not make it to Nagoya for the World Costume Summit, AnimeJapan is an excellent alternative for seeing exquisite cosplay up close.
Japan Cultural Festivals
In Japan, most festivals and activities are centred on Buddhist or Shinto religious celebrations. The Japanese people enjoy nature-themed festivities such as cherry and plum blossom gazing and commemorating historical events.
Sapporo Snow Festival
This delightful event takes place from the 5th to the 12th of February, in Odori Park, Hokkaido’s regional capital, the first festival calendar. Visitors come from all across Japan to see the massive snow and ice creations.
Sanja Matsuri
Tokyo’s primary event, held in Old Asakusa, has been centred around the iconic Sensoji Shrine for 200 years. It is a three-day celebration that starts on the 3rd Friday of May. Loin-clothed men, local women, and children carry portable shrines holding deities, making sure to shake the shrines to excite the deities. Every May, the event draws over two million people and is staged to bring good luck and prosperity to the region.
Takayama Matsuri
Takayama Matsuri is a festival held on the 14th and 15th of April. This traditional Japanese festival celebrates the arrival of spring in the town of the same name near Hie Shrine and is a colorful riot of adorned floats, dancers, and drummers. Traditional floats have been passed down, initially carved and painted in the Nikko style.
Kyoto Gion Matsuri
The Gion Matsuri celebrated throughout July in Gion’s historic geisha area is one of Japan’s most popular events. It is a fantastic blend of floats, traditional music, drumming, dance performances, and religious rites at Yasaka Shrine for most of the month.
Nachi Fire Festival
Shingu comes alive with fire rituals during this annual mid-July celebration. The festival begins with Shinto offerings, followed by the decoration and transport of 12 portable shrines to a shrine near a waterfall. The ritual concludes with a fire bath, which is thought to cleanse the shrines.
Conclusion
Nothing surpasses a Japanese festival for those seeking interaction with ancient Japan: mouthwatering dishes, fascinating parades, heartfelt music, lovely costumes, and graceful dances of enormous spirituality and historical value! Even if your vacation does not coincide with one of the major festivals, you will undoubtedly find yourself in a Japanese festival or similar event at some point during the year due to the frequent celebration! No matter the festival you encounter during your vacation, Join and have some fun.
