FESTIVALS

Head to northern Japan this summer for huge glowing floats, giant poles covered in lanterns and streets festooned with positive wishes for the future.

What's a 'yukata'? And more importantly, how do you put one on? Better find out before summer festival season arrives!

Obon is a summer event during which people welcome the spirits of their ancestors back home. It's considered Japan’s most significant occasion next to New Year’s, but the customs followed can vary considerably by region.

Also known as the Star Festival, Tanabata is traditionally held on the seventh day of the seventh month of the old lunar calendar, celebrating the legend of the one day of the year when the deities Hikoboshi and Orihime are allowed to meet.

One of the centerpieces of the Japanese summer is the fireworks festivals that run through July and August. Find out how to get the most out of the experience!

This Nagano festival frequently results in deaths when it’s held every six years. Now you can experience the ride firsthand—and safely—at any time of year.

The largest city in Tohoku, Sendai is steeped in the history of Date Masamune, known as the 'one-eyed dragon.'

Two castles peer out into the sea from Saga Prefecture’s picturesque coastal city of Karatsu.