Japanese festivals actually initiated when country people assembled together to celebrate as well as to convey their wish for future health and success by means of singing and dancing. These days, in various regions of Japan people celebrate their regional Japanese Festivals as a commemoration of the beginning of each of the four seasons. For instance most of festivals in summer are organized to drive out the evil spirits at the same time to welcome and treat the souls of the ancestors.
The season of autumn is a proper season for harvesting in addition to a proper season for “thanks giving” or blessing festivals. This harvest festivity is celebrated all over the country of Japan. Other than celebrating the 1 st of January as a New Year Day, a day within 13 th to 16 th January, according to lunar calendar is observed as “Little New Year's Day”. In earlier time this day was considered as a day of spiritual rejuvenation. In Japan spring is considered as a carnival for awakening of the nature. Blossoming of the charming flora denotes the plentiful crop of the upcoming year.
There is a popular saying that at all times one will find a carnival someplace in Japan. Tourists from all over the world come to participate and enjoy the Japanese Festivals all though the year.
Japanese Festivals are usually organized with several food stalls, games as well as amusement activities to allure the people as well as to entertain them.
Japanese Festivals can be classified into ‘Regional' and ‘National' Carnivals.
Japanese Festivals
Some of the most well known and colorful
festivals in Japan are as following :
- Hanagasa Odori
- Taiko Matsuri
- Shinjo Masturi
- Tenjin Masturi
- Hakata Gion Yamagasa
- Hinamatsuri
- Tanabata
- Seijin Shiki
