Featured Events in Japan in July, 2025 (May Updated)

As an important traditional event, this festival not only showcases the rich and colorful cultural heritage of the city, but also inherits people's respect for history.

About 2,000 fireworks will be launched from Himakajima in Minamichita, Aichi Prefecture. Himakajima is a small island with a circumference of only 5.5 meters, and festivals to pray for safe sailing and good fishing catches have a history of about 250 years. One festival called "Horoku Nagashi," in which a large unglazed earthenware dish is set on fire and floated out to sea, has become a magical summer tradition.

Ogasawara treasures each unique encounter with a landscape, and his landscape paintings, created using the techniques of Japanese painting and based on meticulous sketches, are bright and clear in style with a gold base, and while their expression is simple, they are imbued with elegance. This exhibition will feature works depicting the natural scenery of rural areas around Japan, such as mountain valleys covered in blossoms including cherry blossoms, and waterside scenes of clear streams.

The finale of the Aburatsu Port Festival, which adds color to the summer in Nichinan City, Miyazaki Prefecture, is a fireworks display known as the largest festival in the prefecture. The Aburatsu Port Festival also holds events where you can feel the sea, and at night, the gorgeous fireworks that blend sound and light will illuminate the summer night sky of the harbor. Since the launch site is close to the sea, the view is almost unobstructed, and you can enjoy the impressive fireworks up close, which is also one of its charms.

The Ozu Festival is held in mid-to-late July every year at Toyose Shrine in Taketoyo Town, Chita District, Aichi Prefecture. It is a festival where you can feel the local tradition and atmosphere. At night, about 10 different types of fireworks are set off in the shrine, and the spectacular sight attracts many tourists. A variety of fireworks will light up the summer night sky, bringing excitement and joy to all visitors.

The Aichi River Gion Summer Festival Fireworks Display originated from the Gion Shrine festival in the early Meiji period. It is the oldest fireworks display in the Koto area on the east bank of Lake Biwa and will usher in its 141st year in 2025. The event, which consists of 3,500 fireworks, has become a summer tradition in Aichigawa-machi, with star-studded fireworks lighting up the night sky east of the lake. The massive fireworks display in the night sky is not to be missed.

3,000 fireworks will light up the night sky of Makubetsu Town in Nakagawa County, Hokkaido. The colorful performances such as Yosakoi Festival, Taiko drums, and jazz music will make the lively atmosphere of the festival linger in people's hearts for a long time. On the vast land facing the Sarubetsu River (which flows into the Tokachi River), a refreshing fireworks display will be set off, covering the night sky with gorgeous golden light, and the Makubetsu Summer Festival will come to an end.

The Furusato Ryugu Festival Sea Fireworks Festival in Namerikawa City, Toyama Prefecture will be held from 8:10 to 8:45 pm on July 20, 2025. This fireworks festival is part of the Furusato Ryugu Festival, an important event in Namerikawa City. Various exciting programs will be held during the Furusato Ryugu Festival, including stage performances, traditional dances, food stalls, etc. These activities not only showcase the traditional culture of Namerikawa City, but also attract a large number of tourists to participate. As the finale of the festival, the fireworks festival will bloom over Toyama Bay. The largest-scale three-foot-tama fireworks in Toyama Prefecture are one of the most anticipated highlights of this event. The brilliant fireworks illuminate the night sky and bring a perfect end to the Furusato Ryugu Festival. Come to Namerikawa City to leave beautiful summer memories!

The Urabandai Hi no Yama Festival will be held in the Urabandai area of ​​Kitashiobara Village, Yama-gun, Fukushima Prefecture. The festival ends with a fireworks display, with beautiful fireworks lighting up the night sky. The festival was originally held to commemorate the victims of the 1888 eruption of Mount Bandai and to remember ancestors. Food stalls will be set up around the venue, where you can enjoy food and enjoy the festival atmosphere.

On July 24, 2024 (Wednesday), the "Iruma Base Summer Festival" was held at the Air Self-Defense Force Iruma Base in Sayama City, Saitama Prefecture. It is a traditional summer festival in which the Iruma Base, which is usually closed to the public, is opened to the public. Through events such as the Bon Festival, Taiko drum performances, and fireworks, visitors will have a deeper understanding of the base.

The Kifune Festival is an annual festival at the Kifune Shrine in Manazuru Town and is one of the three major ship festivals in Japan. The event is held in late July every year and is designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan. During the two-day festival, many boats, including the mikoshi, are decorated with gorgeous flowers and pulled through the sea by rowboats called "kaidenba". Traditional music and songs can be heard during the day, and an unforgettable sight can be enjoyed at night when the lanterns are lit. The Manazuru Festival is held to pray for a good harvest and good health.

This is the fourth International Performance Art Festival held in Japan. This will be the first time the event is held in Kyoto. Performance art began with the birth of "Happenings" as a new form of expression different from established performance art, and it was established as a new form of expression when the New York Fluxus movement held concerts. This festival aims to explore new performances across genres. Experience the expressions of artists who rely on the chance of accidental events happening on the spot.

Experience the ultimate summer vibes at the Slightly Stoopid - Step Into The Sun Tour 2025 in Redmond. Taking place at the picturesque Marymoor Live - Presented By Toyota on July 25, 2025, this event promises a memorable evening filled with great music and good vibes. The venue's address is 6046 West Lake Sammamish Pkwy NE, WA, 98052. Don't miss out on this opportunity to soak up the sun and enjoy a fantastic live performance by Slightly Stoopid.

The fireworks festival held in Koshigaya City, Saitama Prefecture, is held on the middle bank of the Kasai Irrigation Canal, a symbol of "Water Koshigaya", and the fireworks launched from the waterside will illuminate the night sky and the river in a fantastic way. The whole town is immersed in a lively atmosphere as colorful starlight mines and huge, impressive fireworks are launched one after another. There are also food stalls around the venue, and it is also a highlight to be able to enjoy the atmosphere of the summer festival while watching the fireworks. Traffic restrictions will be implemented from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., so we recommend that you arrive early and use public transportation. The event will still be held in light rain, but it will be cancelled in bad weather, so be sure to check the weather.

The festival is held on the fourth Saturday of July every year in Ayabe, Kyoto Prefecture, and is a tradition of releasing lanterns to honor ancestors from the late Meiji era. Today, it is a spectacular summer festival with the "Peace Prayer Manto Flow," where about 10,000 lanterns float simultaneously down the Yura River, and about 4,000 fireworks are set off. The venue is filled with a lively Ayabe Yosakoi dance adapted from the Kochi Prefecture Yosakoi dance. This is followed by the release of water lanterns at 7:30 p.m. A 40-minute fireworks display begins at 8 p.m., casting a dreamlike atmosphere over the entire Yura River bed.

This event has been held since the Taisho era and is one of the oldest in the prefecture. Approximately 5,000 fireworks are launched continuously from barges on the Onga River, creating a spectacular sight. The large-scale fireworks and underwater fireworks are particularly impressive and mesmerize the audience. There will also be many food stalls set up around the venue.

The Buddhist chanting dance passed down from Yugyoji Temple, when the Buddhist master Ippon Shonin traveled around the country chanting sutras and praying for blessings. Chanting the mantra, the disciples suddenly began to dance, and the onlookers followed suit. It is believed that this dance eventually integrated the culture and characteristics of each region and became the origin of Bon Dance and folk performing arts. The Bon Dance event "Yugu no Bon" makes full use of this culture preserved in Fujisawa, featuring Bon Dance, including Fujisawa's new Bon Dance "Yugu Dance" with the theme of Buddhist chanting, making the summer of Shonan full of vitality.

Kuwana Town, famous for its waterways, has been hosting a fireworks display since 1934 (Showa 9). Large fireworks are launched from the sandbar of the Ibigawa River, and the entire scenery is bathed in light when viewed from the riverbank. You can enjoy a variety of fireworks, such as music fireworks set off to music and starlight fireworks that are launched continuously. About 10,000 fireworks will be set off, including the largest two-shaku fireworks in the Tokai region. Two-shaku fireworks are large fireworks with a diameter of about 600 meters, creating a spectacular sight in the night sky.

Ashiya Summer Carnival is a fireworks festival held in late July every year in the Minami-Ashiyahama area of ​​Ashiya City, Hyōgo Prefecture. Its official name has not changed since the first festival in 1979, but the first fireworks display was at the seventh festival in 1985. It is considered one of the three major festivals in Ashiya and is positioned as a summer festival in the city. Festivals and stage events are held during the day.

The Kamogawa Citizens Fireworks Festival is held every summer at Maehara Yokogi Beach in Kamogawa City, Chiba Prefecture, where about 1,500 fireworks are set off against the backdrop of a beautiful beach rated one of Japan's top 100 beaches. The sight of large fireworks and other lights blooming in the night sky with the ocean as the backdrop is mesmerizing. The fireworks venue is located at Maehara Yokogi Beach, and a promenade called the "Seaside Promenade" has been built to take advantage of the arched terrain that stretches for about one kilometer, so people can enjoy the fireworks from anywhere on the coastline. It is easily accessible, just a 5-minute walk from JR Abo Kamogawa Station. A row of outdoor stalls will also be set up, and you can enjoy the fireworks and the sea breeze in a lively summer atmosphere.

The Sumiyoshi Festival is one of the three major summer festivals in Osaka, and it is also a grand festival in the back of the summer in Osaka. The three-day event starts on July 30 and ends on August 1. There are three well-known events: "God Washing the Gods", "Xia Yuexi" and "God Yu Yu". "God washes the gods" refers to the ritual of washing the gods with sea water on July 30. The shrine starts from Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine and heads towards Sumiyoshi Park, which used to be in the direction of Yoshihama, washing the shrine with sea water as it goes. This seawater is brought back in the morning by the special ship "Shiokabune" of the Osaka Sumiyoshi Fisheries Association from Osaka Bay, which is considered a sacred seawater. After the cleaning was over, Miyu returned to Sumiyoshi Taisha. "Xia Yue's sacred events" is considered to be an intangible cultural heritage, and it is also the highlight of the annual festival on July 31. It is a ceremony in which a gorgeously dressed Xia Yue girl and a golden boy and a jade girl drill the thatch together. Ordinary people can also participate, praying for no disease and no disaster. "Shinyu Togo" refers to a ceremony in which the deity of Sumiyoshi the Great God parades through the shrine to Sakai no Judo Intongu. Local residents will participate in the activities of raising the gods, and the scene is very lively.