Festivals and Events for June 2014 in Japan
June 2014 sees quite a few traditional cultural festivals and events happening around Japan. Summer is fast approaching with warmer weather and the beautiful colours of the hydrangea flowers (ajisai), the symbol of the rainy season in Japan.
11 May to 15 October 2014
Event: Gifu Ukai (Cormorant Fishing)
Location: Nagara River in Gifu City
Time: Starts from 7:30 pm
Price of Admission: A fee applies
Cormorant Fishing or ukai in Japanese is a major summer attraction on the Nagara River in Gifu City, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. Ukai is a traditional fishing method that uses trained cormorants to catch river fish. The art has been practiced along the Nagara River in Gifu for more than 1,300 years. It has a very long history in Japan and is mentioned in many ancient chronicles.
1-2 June 2014
Event: Takigi O-Noh
Location: Kyoto
Time: Held in the evening until around 9 pm
Price of Admission: FREE
Taking place at the famous Heian Jingu Shrine in Kyoto, this open-air torchlight event features traditional Noh performances, which are an ancient form of musical theater in Japan. The performances are held in the evening on a stage at Heian Jingu Shrine illuminated with blazing torches. The Noh actors are dressed in beautiful costumes with lacquer-coated wooden masks.
5 June 2014
Event: Atsuta Matsuri
Location: Nagoya
Time: Held in the morning around 10 am
Price of Admission: FREE
This festival held at the famous Atsuta Jinju Shrine in Nagoya features various performances such as kyudo (Japanese-style archery), kendo, taiko (Japanese drumming) and Atsuta-kagura (Shinto dance). A highlight is the kento makiwara, huge altars containing 365 lanterns, and the fireworks display at Jingu Koen Park.
13 June 2014
Event: Sanno Matsuri
Location: Tokyo
Time: The parade starts around 7:45 am at Hie Shrine
Price of Admission: FREE
The Sanno Matsuri is one of the three most famous festivals of Tokyo. The main attraction of the festival is the parade on June 13 that winds through central Tokyo. It starts and ends at Hie Shrine and passes the Tokyo Imperial Palace, Tokyo Station and Ginza. The parade features festival floats, portable shrines (mikoshi) and colourful traditional costumes of the imperial court.
14 June 2014
Event: Otaue Rice Planting Festival
Location: Osaka
Time: Times vary according to the event
Price of Admission: FREE
This famous rice planting festival is held at the Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine in Osaka. The main attraction of the rituals is the spectacular dance and folk song performances, as well as a procession of samurai warriors dressed in full armor. The dancing is believed to enhance the vitality of the rice grains leading to a successful harvest.
22 June – 15 July 2014
Event: Itadori Ajisai Matsuri
Location: Gifu
Time: Times vary according to the event
Price of Admission: FREE
Held at the picturesque Itadori Village in Seki City, Gifu Prefecture. The ajisai or hydrangea are a symbol of June and the rainy season in Japan. The Ajisai Matsuri starts at the Ajisai Mura (village) with the whole area filled with around 10,000 beautiful hydrangea flowers. Lining the Itadori River is the “Hydrangea Road”, which is a 24 kilometer-long stretch of road containing around 7,000 hydrangea of various colours.
John Asano is a blogger, travel writer and travel advisor living in Gifu, Japan. Originally from Melbourne, Australia, he has lived in Japan now for over 15 years. John loves nothing better than picking up his camera and exploring all the amazing sights and attractions that Japan has to offer. He writes about the must see sights and attractions in Japan at Japan Travel Advice, as well as about Japanese culture and modern life on his blog Japan Australia. You can read more of his work at http://japan-australia.blogspot.com/
