Japanese Holidays & Festivals: August

These are yearly events of August in Japan. Although unfortunately the public events will not be taking place this year, we still wanted to share them with you for your future trip to Japan. On the first of the month, we’ll share a monthly calendar of Japan’s yearly holidays and notable festivals.

AUG 1: PL Art of Fireworks

As a religious event held by the Church of the perfect liberty in Osaka, there will be more than 120,000 fireworks making it one of the largest fireworks festivals in the world.

AUG 1-3: Nagaoka Festival

Parades with floats and people dressed in samurai armors as well as fireworks will be happening in Nagaoka, Niigita Prefecture. There will be food stalls featuring traditional Niigita cuisine such as Hegi soba and Sasa dango.

AUG 1-7: Hirosaki Neputa Matsuri

In Hirosaki, there will be huge lantern floats at night and big taiko drums to ward off sleep demons that make people lazy in summer.

AUG 6: Peace Ceremony

A memorial day of the atom-bombing of Hiroshima in 1945. People send off paper lanterns on the Ota river to pray for peace.

AUG 7-9: Niigata Festival

The largest festival in Niigata Prefecture. There will be people dressed in Heian traditional clothes and fireworks.

AUG 11: Mountain Day (national holiday)

A day off for people to enjoy and appreciate mountains and nature.

AUG 11-12: Osaka Castle

Takigi-noh Noh, Japanese traditional theatre, will be performed in Osaka Castle.

AUG 12-15: Awa Odori Festival

One of the most famous dance festivals in Japan. People participate in Awa Odori, a local folk dance, in Tokushima.

AUG 13: Yanai Goldfish Lantern Festival

Giants goldfish lanterns made with bamboo and washi paper will fill the streets of Yanai at night.