{"id":28473,"date":"2020-09-16T14:35:26","date_gmt":"2020-09-16T13:35:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/?p=28473"},"modified":"2025-03-19T08:37:16","modified_gmt":"2025-03-19T08:37:16","slug":"theres-a-festival-for-that-japan-and-its-matsuri","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/2020\/09\/16\/theres-a-festival-for-that-japan-and-its-matsuri\/","title":{"rendered":"There&#8217;s a festival for that: Japan and its matsuri"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4>Like this post? Help us by sharing it!<\/h4><ul class=\"wpfai-list\"><li class=\"wpfai-list-item facebook\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F28473&amp;t=\" title=\"Facebook\" class=\"wpfai-facebook wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-facebook fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item twitter\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F28473\" title=\"Twitter\" class=\"wpfai-twitter wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-twitter fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item pinterest\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F28473&amp;description=&amp;media=\" title=\"Pinterest\" class=\"wpfai-pinterest wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-pinterest fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item linkedin\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F28473&amp;title=\" title=\"Linked In\" class=\"wpfai-linkedin wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-linkedin fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item envelope\">\r\n      <a href=\"mailto:?subject=&amp;body=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F28473%20-%20\" title=\"E-Mail\" class=\"wpfai-envelope wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-envelope fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item stumbleupon\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stumbleupon.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F28473\" title=\"Stumble Upon\" class=\"wpfai-stumbleupon wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-stumbleupon fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item reddit\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F28473\" title=\"Reddit\" class=\"wpfai-reddit wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-reddit fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><\/ul><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/\">trip to Japan<\/a> at any time is a cultural adventure, with plenty of very &#8216;Japanese\u2019 <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">experiences<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> to<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0try<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> on your travels through the country. Staying in a traditional <em>ryokan<\/em> guest house, heading to a local <em>izakaya<\/em>, riding the Shinkansen, tucking into a bowl of good ramen and eating some fine sushi usually top most people&#8217;s lists. <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">However, we\u2019d argue that if there were one thing you should do to get a taste of Japan&#8217;s culture, society, religion, food and sense of fun, it&#8217;s attending a <em>matsuri \u2013 <\/em>or festival.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_28482\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-28482\" style=\"width: 720px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-half-width wp-image-28482\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/4333377_nebuta_face-2700-720x540.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/4333377_nebuta_face-2700-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/4333377_nebuta_face-2700-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/4333377_nebuta_face-2700-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/4333377_nebuta_face-2700-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/4333377_nebuta_face-2700-564x423.jpg 564w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/4333377_nebuta_face-2700-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/4333377_nebuta_face-2700-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/4333377_nebuta_face-2700-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/4333377_nebuta_face-2700-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/4333377_nebuta_face-2700-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/4333377_nebuta_face-2700-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/4333377_nebuta_face-2700-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/4333377_nebuta_face-2700-510x383.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-28482\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Nebuta festival floats<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Some <em>matsuri<\/em> are huge and attract visitors from all over Japan. Aomori\u2019s <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Nebuta<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> festival, with its illuminated floats and unique dancing, draws millions over one August week. Hundreds of thousands of people descend on the little town of Takayama to watch the huge floats during its spring and autumn festivals. But there are thousands of smaller, more off-beat, quirky festivals across Japan.<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> Most happen in summer and are a celebration of community, the local shrine, traditional dance, music and the opportunity to wear\u00a0<\/span><em>yukata<\/em><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> or <em>h<\/em><\/span><em>appi<\/em><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, eat festival food and drink more than a few drops of sake. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_28484\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-28484\" style=\"width: 720px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-half-width wp-image-28484\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Yukata-girls-720x480.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Yukata-girls-720x480.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Yukata-girls-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Yukata-girls-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Yukata-girls-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Yukata-girls-564x376.jpg 564w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Yukata-girls-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Yukata-girls-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Yukata-girls-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Yukata-girls-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Yukata-girls-1440x960.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Yukata-girls-390x260.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Yukata-girls-780x520.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Yukata-girls-510x340.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-28484\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Festival yukata<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Despite their diversity, these smaller <em>matsuri<\/em><\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> are a way to maintain tradition and connect whole communities across generations. Most are hundreds, some thousands of years old; t<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">he oldest festivals date back 1,200 years. With the <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">straight-laced<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, seemingly conservative attitude of the everyday, some of these festivals seem unusually weird, wacky and downright dangerous\u2026 sometimes insane.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">Insider tour leader Brett Plotz rounds them up for you.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Saidaiji<\/span><\/b><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0Eyo Matsuri \/ Naked Man Festival (Saidaiji, Okayama)<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">My<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0first<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> experience of a <em>matsuri<\/em> came in July 2008, when, straight out of college, I arrived in rural Okayama. Each year in <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Saidai, just south of the city, the infamous Hadaka Matsuri (literally, &#8220;naked festival&#8221;) is held in February \u2013 perhaps the coldest month of the year. It is not the only &#8220;<em>Hadaka&#8221;<\/em>\u00a0festival to take place in Japan, but is certainly the most famous. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I found myself naked in a large canvas tent, standing in line with only a pair of split-toed sock booties and a long, rolled up length of cloth. An old woman proceeded to tie the tightest <\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">fundoshi<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0(buttock-revealing loincloth)\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">just covering\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">my nether region<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">s<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> (if nothing else). I then emerged from the tent in said loincloth shivering and joined 40,000 other participants doing laps around the temple grounds \u2013 including a run through an ice-cold pond. Fuelled by machismo and a fair amount of sake, myself and 40,000 others did this circuit repeatedly, shouting \u201c<\/span><em>washoi,\u00a0washoi<\/em><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><em>!<\/em>\u201d until it was time to gather on the raised stone platform of the temple.<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The origins of the festival go back over 500 years, but centre <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">around competition for a limited number of lucky talismans. At a certain time, all the lights are turned out and the priests drop several <\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">shingi <\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">sticks with a lucky handwritten Buddhist sutra. The goal is to catch the <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">the<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">shingi<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> through the giant free-for-all and run out one of the temple gates with everything intact. The winner is crowned the area\u2019s lucky man for the year and wins a decent cash prize too. This video from Sankei News gives you an idea.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"\u3075\u3093\u3069\u3057\u59ff\u3067\u798f\u7537\u76ee\u6307\u3059\u3000\u5ca1\u5c71\u30fb\u897f\u5927\u5bfa\u300c\u306f\u3060\u304b\u796d\u308a\u300d\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/N2KDdH1lWis?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">It was quite the introduction to Japan and its festivals \u2013 and I soon <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">realised<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0that there were\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">plenty\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">more st<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">range<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0traditional\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">festivals<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0throughout the year.\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Here are just a few.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Nada\u00a0<\/span><\/b><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Kenka\u00a0Matsuri \/ Fighting Festival (Nada, Himeji, Hyogo)<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Festivals and the honour of taking part often attracts Japans\u2019 traditional underworld members, the Yakuza. Although not a threat to most people, you can usually distinguish them by their impressive tattoos. Tokyo\u2019s Sanja Matsuri in Asakusa attracts many local Yakuza vying for the honour of carrying Mikoshi. However, there are other festivals, such as<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> the Nada Kenka (&#8220;fight&#8221;) Matsuri in Himeji, which attracts Yakuza and local gang members to display their tattoos and fight for their shrine. Again, there are many &#8220;Kenka&#8221; festivals around Japan, but Nada is probably the most famous. In this festival, held in the centre of a deep concrete amphitheatre, three <\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">mikoshi<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0(portable miniature shrines made of wood and carried by teams of men) are literally smashed into each other while each team fights with the other.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Abare<\/span><\/b><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0Matsuri \/ Fire violence Festival (Ushitsu, Noto Peninsula, Ishikawa)<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">This is another\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">summer festival featuring portable\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">mikoshi<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> shrines, as well as large tall lantern floats called <\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">kiriko<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">. Even in a list of over-the-top festivals, this one stands out. The local <\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">kami<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> (spirit\/god) in\u00a0Ushitsu\u00a0Town is said to enjoy boisterous activity \u2013 and therefore locals go on a bit of a rampage, making as much noise as possible and celebrating with fire and alcohol (that great combination). The culmination of the festival is when the <em>mikoshi<\/em> are thrown into the ocean, then chopped up and thrown onto a bonfire!<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\"> A great video from Nippon.com here.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Abare Matsuri: A Festival of Grand Lanterns and Towering Torches | Nippon.com: Japan in Video\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/SGP4N_SDIE0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Onbashira<\/span><\/b><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0Matsuri \/ Great Pillar Festival (Suwa, Nagano)<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">This Spring festival is k<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">nown as one of the most dangerous in the country, which makes it hard to look away from! Held only every seven years, the festival is based around the felling and transporting of 16 large trees for the rebuilding of Suwa Grand Shrine. The signature event of the festival is when teams ride the trunks down a mountainside to show their bravado.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">This video from Oh Matsuri will give you some idea of the insanity. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Onbashira Matsuri, Nagano\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/167217111?dnt=1&amp;app_id=122963\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture; clipboard-write; encrypted-media\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Suigun<\/span><\/b><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0Matsuri, AKA the Pirate Festival (Oshima Island, Ehime)<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">This summer festival spans three days to celebrate the legacy of the Murakami Pirates, a clan which controlled the entire\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Seto\u00a0Inland Sea area between Honshu and Shikoku from the 14<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">th<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">-16<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">th<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> century. The \u201cpirates\u201d were in fact more like a <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">naval force than thieves, and are still celebrated by their descendants on the islands.<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0Highlights include a\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">massive nighttime fireworks display and a beach dance in full pirate gear, which is accompanied by huge torches and culminates in a massive bonfire. P<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">articipants try to brace and fire larger and larger <em>teppo<\/em> (early, single shot guns introduced from Europe, which were effectively hand cannons) towards the sea until they are knocked over by the recoil. <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Naki<\/span><\/b><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">zumo\u00a0Matsuri \/Crying Sumo Festival (Asakusa, Tokyo)<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Baby. Scaring. Festival.\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Babies are brought up in pairs to face off like a mini sumo match. Ostensibly the goal is to crown one kiddo as the first and loudest crier, as this is said to indicate good health for the rest of their lives. And if you think this is going to scar kids, check out the Namahage Festival from Akita, or Okinawa\u2019s Paantu Matsuri.<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Japanese Baby-Crying Sumo Festival - Nakizumo \u6ce3\u304d\u76f8\u64b2\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/UCeQ9waF6GE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Akutai<\/span><\/b><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> Matsuri, AKA Cursing Festival (Kasama, Ibaraki)<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Started <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">about 200 years ago during the Edo period as a way for garment workers to let off steam, this winter festival encourages participants to yell insults at priests dressed as Tengu \u2013 a type of mythical devil with a long nose. This one is perfect for those who grew up scarred after being scared by sumo wrestlers as children.<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Kanamara<\/span><\/b><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> Matsuri \/ Phallus Festival (Kawasaki, Kanagawa)<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">If <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">all of these ways of venting seem a bit too violent and you\u2019re wondering where the love is, it\u2019s at Kanayama Shrine every April. This festival is all about phalluses (including one large pink one) and fertility. It\u2019s relatively new, but there are many phallic shrines around the country, plus festivals celebrating fertility that go back hundreds of years.<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> Take a look at this video for more on the Kanamara fertility festival. Make love, not war. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"KANAMARA MATSURI\uff08\u304b\u306a\u307e\u3089\u796d2019\uff09\uff08japanesefestival,strangefestival\uff09\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/KoBtRRFFsgg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">T<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">his should give you an insight into the huge variety of traditional shenanigans that take place<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0across Japan \u2013 and a taster of how exciting a festival can be. <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">If you don\u2019t fancy a fight, first degree burns or throwing yourself down a mountain,\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">perhaps a small local\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">festival<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0will suit. Either way,<\/span> <span data-contrast=\"auto\">if you&#8217;re able to plan for one of the big festivals or you stumble across a small local event, there\u2019s not really anything more Japanese than a <em>matsuri<\/em>.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4>Like this post? 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Help us by sharing it! A trip to Japan at any time is a cultural adventure, with plenty of very &#8216;Japanese\u2019 experiences to\u00a0try on your travels through the country. Staying in a traditional ryokan guest house, heading to a local izakaya, riding the Shinkansen, tucking into a bowl of good ramen and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":65,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_sitemap_exclude":false,"_sitemap_priority":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2367],"tags":[1214,1508,1857,4808,4811],"class_list":["post-28473","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-japanese-culture-and-history","tag-japanese-festivals","tag-festivals","tag-matsuri","tag-crazy-festivals","tag-traditional-festival"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28473","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/65"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28473"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28473\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34973,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28473\/revisions\/34973"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28473"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28473"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28473"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}