13 Japan Summer Festivals in 2025 You Should Experience for Yourself

Summer in Japan is a time when streets light up, communities come together, and old traditions are carried forward in everyday ways. From late June to early September, festivals take place across the country, each with its own rhythm, history, and local flavor.

Some are grand and energetic, with giant floats and fireworks that draw huge crowds. Others are quiet and reflective, with soft music and candlelit paths through small towns. No matter the scale, every matsuri offers a window into how people celebrate, remember, and connect.

This guide brings together 13 of the most iconic summer festivals happening across Japan in 2025. Whether you’re planning a trip or simply curious, these festivals show a side of Japan that is beautifully expressive and open to everyone.

1. Sapporo Summer Festival (Hokkaido)

Date: July 18–August 16, 2025

Sapporo’s largest summer event includes a giant outdoor beer garden spanning six blocks of Odori Park (13,000 seats and 4 major breweries), plus a German beer village and Tanukiji and Susukino street festivals 
Highlight: Visitors can join the traditional Hokkai Bon Odori circle dance, now welcoming many international participants

Tripzilla Tip: Try fresh Hokkaido seafood paired with local brews at the long communal tables

Also read: Tokyo Fireworks Festivals 2025: Best Shows, Dates & Where to Watch

2. Sendai Tanabata Matsuri (Miyagi)

Date: August 6–8, 2025 (fireworks on August 5)

Dating to the 1600s under Date Masamune, Sendai’s Tanabata fills shopping arcades with tall bamboo poles draped in washi-paper streamers and symbolic ornaments.
Highlight: The 16,000-shell fireworks show over Hirose River on August 5 opens the festival.

Tripzilla Tip: Wander the Aoba Castle grounds at night, where bamboo lanterns line the walkways in a peaceful glow.

3. Nebuta Matsuri (Aomori)

Date: August 2–7, 2025 (final parade + fireworks on last day)

Colossal illuminated floats of mythic heroes parade through Aomori to flutes and taiko drums, accompanied by dancing haneto chanting “Rassera Rassera”.
Highlight: On the last night, floats are boarded onto boats for a send-off across Aomori Bay, capped by fireworks.

Tripzilla Tip: Visit the Nebuta Museum Wa Rasse to see float-making up close and join costume and drumming workshops.

4. Hakata Gion Yamakasa (Fukuoka)

Date: July 1–15, 2025 (main race at 04:59 on July 15)

This 800‑year‑old Shinto matsuri features lavish static floats (kazariyama) displayed around the city, leading up to a dynamic early‑morning race 
Highlight: On July 15 at 04:59, teams of men carry one‑ton floats over a 5 km route through Kushida Shrine’s area, racing amid cheers and splashes.

Tripzilla Tip: View the Kazariyama up close in Tenjin or near Kushida Shrine; they’re masterpieces of craftsmanship.

5. Gujo Odori (Gifu)

Date: 12July–6 September, 2025 (all‑night dances Aug 13–16)

Japan’s longest-running Bon dance festival dates to the 1600s and runs over 30 nights .
Highlight: Four consecutive nights of all‑night dancing during Obon (Aug 13–16), where visitors can join locals in traditional dances.

Tripzilla Tip: Bring yukata and geta – dancing is open to everyone and lasts until dawn.

6. Yamagata Hanagasa Festival (Yamagata)

Date: August 5–7, 2025 (6 pm–9:45 pm each night)

Since 1963, this festival has become one of Tōhoku’s four largest, with over 10,000 dancers wearing floral hats and colorful costumes 
Highlight: Tens of thousands watch the parade along a 1.2 km route, with rhythmic chants of “Yassho, Makasho!”

Tripzilla Tip: Free to attend, but elevated seating offers a better view if you want photos

7. Kanto Matsuri (Akita)

Date: August 3–6, 2025 (~3 pm–10:30 pm daily)

Also called the pole‑lantern festival, the origin dates to the Edo era, meant to pray for a good harvest.
Highlight: Performers balance bamboo poles (up to 12 m long) with 24–46 paper lanterns on their foreheads, shoulders, and hips

Tripzilla Tip: Watch the “try‑Kanto” experience where spectators attempt balancing small lantern poles at around 20:0.

8. Toyota Oiden Festival (Aichi)

Date: July 26, 2025 (dance); July 27 (fireworks)

Toyota City-wide dance festival, where community groups dance to the theme song “Oiden” in custom costumes
Highlight: The Grand Dance lines the streets near Meitetsu Toyotashi Station on July 26, followed by a spectacular fireworks show on the Yahagi Riverbanks launching 13,000 rockets.

Tripzilla Tip: Smaller “My Town Oiden” events run from May 31–July 6 in neighbourhoods (ideal for more local atmospheres).

9. Gion Matsuri (Kyoto)

Date: July 1–31, 2025, including yakumatsuri rituals

One of Japan’s most famous matsuri dates back over a millennium. Central to July are two float processions: Saki Matsuri on July 17 and Ato Matsuri on July 24. 
Highlight: Yoiyama nights (July 14–16 and 21–23) activate the shrines and streets with lanterns, food stalls, and the festive crowd.

Tripzilla Tip: Seek out ancestral families’ neighborhood shrines for more intimate rituals.

10. Sumida River Fireworks Festival (Tokyo)

Date: July 26, 2025 (~7:00 pm–8:30 pm)

Tokyo’s premier fireworks event launches around 20,000 shells from two points along the Sumida River.
Highlight: A fireworks contest lets you see creative styles of launch, from silent shells to dramatic bursts.

Tripzilla Tip: Head to riverbanks near Sakura Bridge and Kototoi Bridge early for unreserved spots or join a yakatabune boat cruise for closer views.

11. Obon (nationwide)

Date: August 13–15 (regionally varies; Kyoto ceremony on 16)

A nationwide Buddhist festival honouring ancestors who return home in spirit during Obon 
Highlight: In Kyoto, the 5‑mountain bonfires will be held to send spirits back after their return visit

Tripzilla Tip: Join local Bon dances (Bon Odori) in towns across Japan—simple steps and welcoming crowds.

12. Gozan Okuribi (Kyoto)

Date: August 16, 2025, from 8:00 pm

Also called Daimonji, five giant fires are lit on mountains framing Kyoto at set intervals to guide ancestral spirits home. 
Highlight: The “大” on Daimonji appears at 8:00 pm, followed by “妙法,” “Funagata,” “Left 大,” and “鳥居” in 5‑minute intervals—a ritual to see and hear in sequence.

Tripzilla Tip: Book a viewpoint overlooking the city skyline. Driving or walking tours are popular ways to catch the complete show.

13. Owara Kaze no Bon (Toyama)

Date: September 1–3, 2025 (launch at 5 pm, some towns start at 7 pm

This 300‑year‑old folk festival in Yatsuo began as a prayer for protection against typhoons and rice‑crop blessings.
Highlight: Masked dancers with straw hats move in elegant silence to melancholic shamisen, taiko, and kokyu music through quaint night‑lit streets

Tripzilla Tip: Special trains from Toyama Station are crowded. Secure a numbered ticket early and explore performances by 11 town groups for variety.

Also read: A Guide to Goshuin Collecting in Japan: The Quiet Art of Shrine Stamps

Final thoughts

Festivals in Japan are living traditions, passed through generations, shaped by the seasons, and carried by the people who keep them going. Each one is tied to its community and landscape, and each one invites you to pause, take part, and feel the moment. If you happen to be in Japan this summer, try to catch one, even if it’s just for an evening. You don’t have to understand every ritual or wear a yukata to belong. Just being there to soak in the atmosphere is already enough.