International Journal on Integrated Education e-ISSN : 2620 - 3502

p-ISSN : 2615 - 3785

Japanese National Festivals

Soliyeva Zarina
Teacher of SamSIFL

Rajabova Marvarid
Student of SamSIFL

Abstract: The article discusses some of Japan's national holidays. Information about when and
how the holidays will be held is shown. There is also extensive material about the Japanese
people.
This article is very useful for those interested in Japan and young students
Keywords: about Japan and lifestyle, Japanese national festivals.
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Japan’s population is over 126m, 75% of whom live in urban areas like Tokyo, Yokohama,
Kawasaki, Osaka and Nagoya. With such densely populated cities, space is precious and land
prices extremely high. Japan’s population has been aging since 2011, with some of the worlds
oldest people living in the Okinawan Islands. Most city workers have office jobs and are known
as salary men or OL (office ladies). Management is hierarchical and the work ethic strict, with
overtime assumed. In fact, leaving on time suggests a lack of commitment or loyalty.
Nevertheless, people enjoy a high standard of living. Transport to and from work is by train.
Matsuri, festivals in Japan, are often spectacular, filled with color, exuberance, and tradition.
Japan has perhaps more unique festivals than any other country in the world, and taking in
a matsuri is an unforgettable experience. If you want to see Japan at its liveliest, a high-
energy matsuri is the place to do it! The celebrations themselves vary widely depending on the
occasion, but almost always involve spirited processions of participants vigorously chanting,
dancing, and bearing massive, intricately-decorated mikoshi or floats.As if all of this weren’t
enough, festivals in Japan are also one of the best places to sample an incredible array of unique,
casual, and seasonal Japanese foods. To the surprise of many, street food is not very prevalent in
Japan (unlike in many other parts of Asia). But at matsuri you’ll find the streets lined with after
colorful, offering a remarkable selection of healthy festival snacks.
The Best Japanese Festivals: Our Favorite Matsuri Japan has too many fantastic matsuri to
include in one list, and some of the most delightful are unsung festivals held in small
neighborhoods throughout Japan. In our guide to Japan’s festivals below, we provide an
introduction to what we consider some of the best and most interesting Japanese festivals,
including:
Kyoto’s Gion Matsuri, Osaka’s Tenjin Matsuri, Aomori’s Nebuta Matsuri, The Awa Odori
festival in Tokushima
And many more!
A selection of Tokyo’s best festivals.
Kanda Matsuri (Kanda Myojin Shrine, Tokyo). Kanda was a key central district of Edo (and
remains so in present-day Tokyo), and Kanda Matsuri is known as one of Tokyo’s big three
festivals. It takes place only in odd-numbered years (alternating with the Sanno Matsuri) and
technically lasts an entire week, although the main parade occurs on the Saturday closest to May

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International Journal on Integrated Education e-ISSN : 26203502
IJIE | Research Parks Publishing (IDEAS Lab) p-ISSN : 26153785

15th. This shinto festival began as a celebration of Tokugawa Ieyasu’s victory at the battle of
Sekigahara, and continued as a show of wealth for the new Edo period shogunate. Over time, the
festival has come to represent prosperity for the residents, and it’s quite a spectacle to observe as
the parade of portable shrines, musicians, priests on horseback, and dancers make their way
through the streets, blessing local onlookers. The procession ends at Kanda Myojin Shrine.
Sanja Matsuri (Asakusa Shrine, Tokyo). Sanja Matsuri is another boisterous shinto festival,
held on the third Sunday of May (and preceding Friday and Saturday) in Tokyo’s old-fashioned
Asakusa district. The Sanja Matsuri – which draws around 2 million visitors over three days, and
is considered the largest shinto festival in Tokyo – honors the three founders of Senso-ji Temple,
who are enshrined in the Asakusa Shrine next door to the temple. There are plenty of games and
food to be enjoyed, and the festival itself is known for being relatively raucous. The streets are
flooded with flute players, taiko drummers, and people chanting. On Sunday, at the height of the
festival, three mikoshi — each with the spirit (kami) of one of the founders — are energetically
carried through the streets before being laid back in their place of rest at Asakusa Shrine. It is
said that the louder the chanting and music, and the more roughly the mikoshi are shaken, the
more good luck will be bestowed upon the neighborhoods they pass.
Gion Matsuri (Yasaka Shrine, Kyoto).Gion Matsuri is perhaps Japan’s best-known festival, and
possibly the largest as well. It has a long history (dating back to the year 869) and lasts the entire
month of July, culminating in a parade of floats — the Yamaboko Junko — on July
17th.Although there are festival-related events throughout the month, the main festivities occur
on the day of the Yamaboko Junko (July 17th) and on the three evenings before (known as the
yoiyama evenings).
―Yamaboko‖ refers to the two types of floats: the smaller yama floats and the massive hoko
floats. Hoko floats can be up to several stories (around 25 meters) in height, and can weigh as
much as 12 tons carrying festival participants. The festival floats are elaborately decorated with
gorgeous tapestries and paper lanterns, and hoko floats require around 40 people to pull them
through the streets.
During the yoiyama evenings, streets are closed and packed with people enjoying food stalls
performances, traditional music and costumes, and possibly even spotting geiko and maiko. This
is a chance to enjoy the impressive festival floats up close, and a special opportunity to see
Kyoto residents let loose!
Another fascinating aspect of the yoiyama evenings is the concurrently-held Byobu Matsuri
(―Folding Screen Festival‖), during which many Kyoto families open the entryways of their
homes to the public, offering a glimpse of precious family heirlooms. There is also a slightly
smaller parade (with fewer floats) that takes place on July 24th, and it too is preceded by its own
yoiyama nights of revelry.
Nebuta Matsuri (Aomori Prefecture).Nebuta Matsuri, held in the northern prefecture of
Aomori, is one of Japan’s most visually striking festivals. During the Nebuta Matsuri, the streets
of Aomori City come alive with breathtakingly vibrant lantern floats, which can take up to a year
to build.
The magnificent floats — depicting imposing gods, warriors, kabuki actors, animals, and even
TV celebrities — are made with washi (Japanese paper) and lit from the inside. Accompanying
the floats are groups of dancers, taiko drummers, flutists, and other musicians.
Hanabi (Fireworks) Matsuri.If you’re braving the heat and visiting Japan in summer, you may
have the chance to attend one of the country’s dazzling hanabi (fireworks) matsuri. As anyone
who has spent much time in Japan knows, fireworks are elevated to an art here, and hanabi
artisans take their jobs seriously!
Throughout the summer hanabi festivals take place all over the country, and range from major
events in cities like Tokyo and Osaka to regional and local displays in smaller communities. Like
Copyright (c) 2023 Author (s). This is an open-access article distributed under the
terms of Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY).To view a copy of this Volume 6, Issue 4 | Apr- 2023 | 11
license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
International Journal on Integrated Education e-ISSN : 26203502
IJIE | Research Parks Publishing (IDEAS Lab) p-ISSN : 26153785

other matsuri, these festive celebrations are a great opportunity to relax, spend time with friends
and family, and indulge in cold drinks and festival food.
REFERENCES
1. Japan. Countries and their Cultures.
2. Culture Crossing Guide. (2017). Japan.
3. Japan Book Publishers Association.
4. Modern Japan: An Encyclopedia of History and Culture. (1998).
5. Paul Herbert. Japanese Culture (4th ed. 2000).

Copyright (c) 2023 Author (s). This is an open-access article distributed under the
terms of Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY).To view a copy of this Volume 6, Issue 4 | Apr- 2023 | 12
license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/