Japan's Summer Festivals

Article by Kaori

• FESTIVAL FIREWORKS
• FESTIVAL FOODS
• FESTIVAL GAMES
• YUKATA

About the Author

JAPAN'S SUMMER FESTIVALS In summer festivals, it is a tradition that visitors wear yukata (summer kimono), visit outdoor food stalls (yatai), play festival games, and watch fireworks at night.

FESTIVAL FIREWORKS

Fireworks are called Hanabi in Japan. Hana means flower, and bi means fire in Japanese. It is the combination of these words.

Fireworks have been a summer tradition in Japanese festivals since the Edo period. It has been said that the first firework festival in Japan was held in 1733, and this firework tradition first started to comfort the dead and believed that it could fight off the epidemic, which caused many casualties in Kansai and Edo.





If you visit Japan during a summer festival or watch a movie containing a scene of fireworks events, you should probably notice that some people shout out some words. "Tamaya" and "Kagiya" are shouted to honor and praise the Edo period fireworks company. During the festivals, the Tamaya shop made firework shows upstream, and the Kagiya shop made firework shows downstream around the Ryogoku Bridge in Tokyo. The audience shouted out the name of the company which they liked the firework the most.

Because of an unfortunate event, the Tamaya firework business ended. But Kagiyama continued for generations. Still, people shout out both names as a tradition and as a token of respect.





There are many fireworks festivals from July to September. Obon is one of the most important festivals in Japan. It is an annual Buddhist tradition that takes place in August to commemorate Japanese ancestors.





2023 is really important for Japanese people because after a long break caused by the pandemic, some festivals are starting again. Still, some fireworks events can be canceled because of a weather condition, or something else.

FESTIVAL FOODS

Shop stands (yatai in Japanese) sell many different kinds of street foods at Japanese summer festivals.

If you want to eat something sweet, you can try chocolate banana, wata-ame (cotton candy), ringo-ame (candy apples), baby castella, or taiyaki.

If you are hungry, you might want to try Okonomiyaki, chicken karaage, yakisoba, and takoyaki and drink a sweet soda called ramune.

FESTIVAL GAMES

The most common game you can find at a summer festival is goldfish catching. You need to catch a goldfish with a tool called pai. Pai is made from thin Japanese paper. So you need to be gentle while catching and putting the fish into a bowl.



Another game you can play is called Yo-yo Tsuri. It is a game that catches a water balloon yo-yo with a rubber string, using a paper string with a hook.





You can try playing shateki (gun shooting) or Senbonbiki to win a prize in summer festival games. At Shateki, you use a toy rifle to hit the target to win a prize. At the Senbonbiki game, the prizes are attached at the end of a long string. You can win snacks, toys, or coupons.

YUKATA

Yukata was actually for noble people, including the emperor in the ancient times. They used it as a bathrobe.

Eventually, ordinary people started to wear yukata as pajamas. And in time, it has become popular to wear colorful yukatas in the summer.

Accessories like hairpins and handbags are used as fashion items with yukata. You can also buy masks sold at the festival.

Japan's Summer Festivals Related Items

About the Author

CDJapan Ambassador Project (Your passion is wanted)

If you would support us by providing articles, please send us your profile thru the form below.
It is NOT important whether you have a large number of followers or not.
Rather than that, your passion (& knowledge to some extent) matters far more.

CDJapan Ambassador Project Apply Form (Google Form / external link)