Japanese Festivals to Look Forward to in June

Festivals, or Matsuri (祭) in Japanese,  are celebrated all around Japan all year long. Many Japanese festivals have evolved from how they were originally celebrated, some with Chinese roots. Japanese festivals usually have numerous food stalls, carnival games, and other forms of entertainment. A festival is always a wonderful way to experience local traditions and get to know the culture of the people.

Most festivals are celebrated to honor a particular shrine or temple. The dates for the festivals usually vary depending on the location. Here are some festivals to look forward to this June.

Takigi Noh

The 1st and 2nd days of June kicks off with Takigi Noh (Bonfire Noh performance) in Kyoto. Noh is the traditional Japanese form of musical theater. A stage is set up at Heian Jingu Shrine for the Noh performances that are usually held at night under the burning torches.  A reproduction of a palace built in 794 stands as a shrine,  its popular red torii gate serving as a symbol for Kyoto and the entrance to the shrine.

Otaue Rice Planting Festival

Otaue Rice Planting Festival is celebrated in Osaka, usually on the 2nd week of June. Rice cultivation has been a part of Japanese culture for many years. The process known as taue, where rice seedlings are grown in nurseries before being replanted in rice paddies, is an important aspect in rice cultivation. The festival held at Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine pays particular attention to the unique rituals and stays faithful to the traditional process.  This practice is done with such grand ceremonial style that it transports the observer to the days of old.

Chagu Chagu Umako Horse Festival is held in Iwate on the second Saturday of June. About 100 horses are fitted with bells and colorful harnesses and paraded along the length of Takizawa City to Morioka City, a distance of around 15 kilometers. This 200-year tradition honors all the hardworking horses that help farmers in the fields when planting rice.

Iwate Prefecture has long been a horse breeding district that still values the contributions of horses to the everyday lives of the locals. Even today, it is the usual custom for locals and horses to live together in the same house. The word “chagu chagu” is thought to mimic the sound of bells that are fitted on horses as they trot along, hence the name of the Chagu Chagu Umako Horse Festival.