Japan In June
Say the name Japan to most people and images that come to their mind are: Mt Fuji, Cherry Blossoms, Ninjas, Sushi, Sumo and Geishas. Not forgetting….Pokémon.
That old stylised idea of old and new Japan is not the norm.
There are so many other facets to the country, culture, traditions and history alone goes back millenniums. From a cuisine that brought you sushi and noodles, to the making of one of the deadliest fish dish in the world. It is an eclectic mix of the old and the modern.
If you’re intending travelling during June, the rainy start of summer, (traditionally called Mikasuki) or “the month of water”. You’ll get far more rainfall than in any other month, as the rainy season sets in and sweeps upward throughout the country.
With the beautiful colours of the(ajisai) hydrangea flowers (the symbol of the rainy season), in full bloom everywhere, Holidaymakers can generally get good discounts because its the low season for travel. Which in turn means lower prices and reduced crowds.
However, there are still quite a few traditional cultural festivals and events happening around this time of the year anyway, so it is still a great time to be in there. Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Hiroshima experience their wettest month of the year around this time, so don’t leave your hotel without an umbrella.
Here are a few of the local festivals to look forward to during the month of June:
Early June (Official Dates TBA) | Yosakoi Soran Festival | Sapporo
This festival started in 1992, is a popular event filled with dancing. The event originally featured 10 teams of dancers, but now attracts around 30,000 dancers on top of 200 million visitors! People can watch parades of dancers as well as dancers up on a stage.
June 1| Tonami Yotaka Matsuri | Toyama
The Yotaka Matsuri Festival is a Paper Lantern Parade, where huge floats made up of paper lanterns, are crashed into each other. A little bit dangerous, loud, and lively, the festival may be very interesting to check out for those who enjoy these types of events.
June 6-7| Torigoe Matsuri |Asakusa, Tokyo
The Torigoe Matsuri festival is known for being loud, lively, and intense. The main event is when the largest omikoshi, portable shrine, is carried and paraded through the street. Occasionally fights break out over who gets to carry the *omikoshi due to it being considered good luck to carry it.
*A portable shrine ( mikoshi) carried out of the shrine grounds and around town. Along with the mikoshi, the participants in the parade carry a bonten, which is a long piece of wood with many oblong pieces of white paper attached to it to form a large ball. In the darkness the bonten is waved about in a ritual, providing the name bonten-mawashi(In sumo wrestling, a mawashi(廻し) is the belt (loincloth) that the rikishi (or sumo wrestler) wears during training or in competition).
June 7-17 | Sanno Matsuri | Tokyo
The Sanno Matsuri Festival only takes place during even numbered years. It involves many different aspects, but the most famous and popular event is the parade that makes a full cycle from the Hie Shrine through Tokyo and back.
June 22-24 | Himeji Yukata Festival | Himeji City
The Himeji Yukata Festival takes place every year around the Osakabe Shrine. During this event, many people celebrate the traditional garment of yukata and dress up in colourful yukatas of all designs! Food stalls are available, as well as stalls for trinkets, games, and more!
With parades, fashion shows, and so much more held to showcase garments for foreign visitors. It’s a great sight to see and to learn a bit more about Japanese culture!
