The summer in Japan is hot, sweaty, muggy… and absolutely magical. One of the best things about summer in this country is that, while you can sweat buckets, you can also engage in one of the most exciting and important parts of Japanese culture: the festival. And there are many Japanese festivals in August.
Festivals, often held in the evening, are times for communities to come together, dance, eat, drink, and generally love life. While they take place across the country and even across the year, August is the time of Obon, a major religious observation that sees dozens of festivals take place in different places all over the country. Here are ten of the most famous and impressive festivals for you to enjoy.
Sendai Tanabata
When: August 6 (Wed), August 7 (Thu), August 8 (Fri)
Where: Sendai
Tanabata is famous — and celebrated — throughout Japan. But Sendai is the home to the number one Tanabata Festival in all of Japan. During the three-day celebration, the entire city celebrates, with colorful streamers and decorations all over Sendai, but especially in downtown. The whole event kicks off with a firework display in Nishi Park on the evening of the 5th.
Akita Kanto Festival
When: From August 3 (Sun) to August 6 (Wed)
Where: Kanto Odori Street, Akita
This isn’t just a festival: it’s a display of strength and skill! Kanto are long poles, which can weigh 50kg and be over ten meters long, and are adorned with lanterns, designed to simulate bags of rice. During the day and night, this festival’s well trained volunteers don’t just carry these obelisks — they balance them! Using their hands, or even their heads, watch in awe as these amazing feats are performed before your eyes. During the day, you can even try it out yourself… with a smaller version, of course.
Atami Marine Sea Fireworks Festival
When: August 5 (Mon); August 8 (Fri); August 18 (Sun); August 23 (Fri)
Where: Atami Sun Beach
The beach, of course, is synonymous with summer — and in Japan, night at the beach is synonymous with fireworks. Atami, one of the most popular and well-known seaside resorts in the country, regularly puts on fireworks displays, and the summer is where it really comes alive. The display, which has been a tradition in the town since 1952, is a wonder for the eyes, and because it is held multiple times in the month of August, you really don’t have much excuse to miss it.
Koenji Awa-Odori
When: From August 24 (Sat) to August 25 (Sun)
Where: Koenji
Awaodori is a form of dance that originated in Tokushima, but is popular all over Japan — and this festival is the largest of its kind outside of Tokushima itself. Over 12,000 dancers participate, with multiple routes across Koenji. Bring some food (or buy some there!) and enjoy one of the best summer events in Japan.
Sapporo Summer Festival
When: From July 18 (Fri) to August 16 (Sat)
Where: Odori Park, Sapporo
Sapporo, as the capital of Japan’s most northern island, is a joy to visit in the summer, when it is cooler than most other regions. But that doesn’t mean summer festivals are gone: this month-long celebration showcases one of the largest beer gardens in all of Japan, for the thirsty among us. It is also the site of the Hokkai Bon Odori, from the 16th to the 18th, which features dancing and singing.
Gozan no Okuribi
When: August 11 (Sat)
Where: Nakagyō-ku, Kyoto
This is an ancient ceremony, where five characters, each representing different virtues. The most famous of these, and the first to be lit, is “Daimonji,” in which a large character 大, or “great,” is burned into the side of a mountain. This takes place at the climax of Obon every year, and the name literally means “send-off fire.” A real wonder of Japanese culture, if you are in Kyoto in August, you cannot miss this.
Yanai Goldfish Lantern Festival
When: August 13 (Wed)
Where: Yanai, Yamaguchi
This festival is smaller, but there’s nothing else like it. This small town, in the hopes of a revival, begins to hang small paper goldfish on the streets throughout July, but at the mid-point of August, the real festivities begin. That’s when huge goldfish floats, known as nebuta, are carried down the streets while food and drink is sold from street stalls. Why not visit and help revitalize the town yourself?
Asakusa Tōrō Nagashi Lantern Floating
When: August 16 (Sat)
Where: Sumida Park
Tickets: ¥1,700 if purchased in advance; ¥2,000 on the day. More info here!
Asakusa Tōrō Nagashi Lantern Floating is a reminder that, while Obon is a huge celebration, it ultimately has its roots in the Buddhist belief that one should honor one’s ancestors. This is an event where those present can come to the banks of the Sumida River and carefully launched their own handwritten candelight lanterns onto the water, guided into the beyond to meet those who have gone before us.
Hinokuni Festival
When: From August 1 (Fri) to August 3 (Sun)
Where: Sunroad Shinshigai, Kumamoto
Kumamoto’s high street comes even more alive for this three-day weekend, when after an opening ceremony, there are days of food and festivities. Dance troupes perform as festival-goers snack on delicious summer foods and have a couple of drinks at the Natsu Machi Yokocho, a pop-up booze alley that lives only for the festival.
World Cosplay Summit 2025
When: From August 1 (Fri) to August 3 (Sun)
Where: Nagoya University of the Arts, Nagoya
Tickets: ¥1,000-¥3,000 for participants. Link here!
As a slightly different flavor for our final festival, we have the annual World Cosplay Summit! This is a competitive cosplay competition: every year, enthusiasts show off their artistry in bringing their favorite characters to life, and see who is the very best! Even if you don’t want to put on your best manga costume, you can still attend for free, see the costumes on display, buy merchandise, and watch the cosplay parade.
There you have it! Ten of the top festivals in Japan in August. No matter where you want to go or what you want to do in this humid month, there’s no chance you won’t have fun!
