20 Free Things to Do in Japan This Summer
Japan has a host of things to do for budget tourists, and we've compiled our list of the best free things to do. Enjoy!
Make Your Very Own Star Festival Raindrop Cake
Want to make your own raindrop cake? All you need is a yellow peach, pearl agar, water, a bamboo leaf, toasted soybean flour, brown sugar syrup, a microwave and a fridge—and some edible gold powder!
Japan's 3 Great 'Bon Odori' Dance Festivals
Summer is the season of the festival in Japan, and these three celebrations will have you literally dancing in the streets.
See Samurai Up Close—On Horseback!
Samurai aren't just in the movies! The spirit of the samurai lives on at the Soma-Nomaoi festival, featuring a horde of armored warriors on horseback!
Toro Nagashi: Floating Lanterns for the Dead
'Toro nagashi' is a ceremony in which paper lanterns are released into the water, typically floating down rivers to guide the spirits of the dead back to the other world.
Gruesome Floats from the Neputa Festival!
Hirosaki's Neputa Festival is known for its gigantic, illuminated floats. But did you ever notice the gruesome details hidden in the art?
Beat the Heat With Some Cool 'Yukata'
Look cool and stay cool during the hot Japanese summers with lightweight 'yukata' that feature the Loch Ness Monster and Edo Period assassination tools.
It's Easy to Discover the History of Takayama
Ranked as a three-star Michelin destination, Takayama's ancient streetscapes are full of traditional shops, while its Takayama Matsuri is known as one of Japan's top three most beautiful festivals.
Light Festival in Kyoto's Shimogamo Shrine
Enjoy a brilliant light festival in 'Tadasu no Mori' at Shimogamo Shrine!
5 Cool Events at the Nagasaki Kunchi Festival
While the festival itself is well known in Japan, even most Japanese people aren't familiar with the various performances to be seen at Nagasaki's raucous Kunchi Festival.
How to Properly Wear 'Geta'
Do you know the real Japanese technique for wearing traditional footwear?
Revered Animals at Japan's Temples & Shrines
How can a cow heal your knee? Find out at these Tokyo-area temples and shrines!
4 Incredible Summer Fire Festivals
Temples & Shrines Summer Festivals
These incredible events are sure to get you fired up about summertime in Japan!
3 Animal Dances in Miyagi
Where could you see a dozen tigers dance on a rooftop? Head north to Miyagi!
Spectacular Handheld Bamboo Fireworks Photos
This Aichi-area festival features geysers of light exploding from handheld bamboo cannons!
Can You Survive Aomori's Summer Stove Train?
Looking for a steamy train experience? Head up to Aomori for a stove train that's heated to 50°C in the middle of summer!
Dance All Night at Gifu's Gujo Odori
Held every summer in the picturesque riverside town of Gujo Hachiman in Gifu Prefecture, Gujo Odori is one of Japan’s largest and most famous traditional folk dance festivals.
Ichinomiya Tanabata Festival
Located in Aichi, the Ichinomiya Tanabata Festival is one of Japan’s three largest and most famous Tanabata Festivals, celebrating the one day a year when the celestial lovers Orihime and Hikoboshi can meet.
4 Useful Supplies for Summer Festivals
You've got your 'yukata' on and you're ready to roll—but don't leave the house before you've grabbed these useful festival items too!
The Meiji Restoration in Kitakyushu
Learn all about the Meiji Restoration in the city of Kitakyushu.
