Editing Japanese festivals (section)

==Local festivals (''matsuri'')==
{{unreferenced section|date=June 2015}}
[[File:Ōmiya Hachiman Shrine Mikoshi.JPG|left|160px|thumb|Big [[Mikoshi]] "Yatai" Parade on Miki Autumn Harvest Festival in [[Miki, Hyōgo]]]]
{{Nihongo|'''Matsuri'''|祭}} is the Japanese word for a festival or holiday. In Japan, festivals are usually sponsored by a local [[Jinja (shrine)|shrine]] or [[List of Buddhist temples|temple]], though they can be secular.

Festivals are often based around one event, with food stalls, entertainment, and [[carnival]] games to keep people entertained.  Some are based around temples or shrines, others hanabi ([[fireworks]]), and still others around contests where the participants sport loin cloths (see: [[Hadaka Matsuri]]).

There are no specific matsuri days for all of Japan; dates vary from area to area, and even within a specific area, but festival days do tend to cluster around traditional holidays such as [[Setsubun]] or [[Bon Festival|Obon]]. Almost every locale has at least one matsuri in late summer/early autumn, usually related to the paddy [[harvest]].

Notable matsuri often feature processions which may include elaborate [[Float (parade)|floats]]. Preparation for these processions is usually organized at the level of neighborhoods, or machi. Prior to these, the local [[kami]] may be ritually installed in [[mikoshi]] and paraded through the streets.

One can always find in the vicinity of a matsuri booths selling souvenirs and food such as [[takoyaki]], and games, such as [[Goldfish scooping]]. [[Karaoke]] contests, [[sumo]] matches, and other forms of entertainment are often organized in conjunction with matsuri. If the festival is next to a lake, renting a boat is also an attraction.

Favorite elements of the most popular matsuri, such as the [[Nada no Kenka Matsuri]] of [[Himeji, Hyōgo|Himeji]] or the [[Aomori Nebuta Matsuri|Neputa Matsuri]] of [[Hirosaki]], are often broadcast on television for the entire nation to enjoy.

===List of famous ''matsuri''===
[[File:Aoi Matsuri.jpg|thumb|[[Aoi Matsuri]] in [[Kyoto, Kyoto|Kyoto]]]]
[[File:Awa Odori Tokushima Aug2009.jpg|thumb|[[Awa Dance Festival|Awa Odori]] in [[Tokushima (city)|Tokushima]]]]
[[File:2022 Shimoda-chō'ｓ Danjiri at Tsukuno Danjiri Festival in Tsukuno Area Movie 001.webm|thumbnail|[[Danjiri Matsuri]] in [[Sakai, Osaka|Sakai]]]]
[[File:Gion Matsuri 2017-5.jpg|thumb|[[Gion Matsuri]] in Kyoto]]
[[File:Akita Kanto Festival 2015 at night.JPG|thumb|[[Akita Kantō|Kantō Matsuri]] in [[Akita, Akita]]]]
[[File:Nada no Kenka matsuri , himeji01.JPG|thumb|''[[Mikoshi]]'' fighting on Nada no Kenka Matsuri ([[:ja:灘のけんか祭り|ja]]) in [[Himeji, Hyogo|Himeji]]]]
[[File:Ominatonebuta.jpg|thumb|[[Aomori Nebuta Matsuri|Nebuta Matsuri]] in [[Aomori, Aomori|Aomori]]]]
[[File:Tenjinmatsuri.JPG|thumb|[[Tenjin Matsuri]] in [[Osaka, Osaka|Osaka]]]]
[[File:Tsushimatennosai1.JPG|thumb|[[Tenno Matsuri]] in [[Tsushima, Aichi]]]]
[[File:120128 WAKAKUSAYAMA yamayaki.gif|thumb|220px|right|[[Mount Wakakusa|Wakakusa Yamayaki]], an annual festival during which the grass on the hillside of Mount Wakakusayama is set on fire]]
[[File:Yomise(Yatai).JPG|thumb|Stalls selling food or toys are a familiar sight at festivals throughout Japan.]]
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Name Matsuri !! Note !! Place
|-
| [[Aoi Matsuri|Aoi]]
| held at [[Shimogamo Shrine]] and [[Kamigamo Shrine]] in May
| [[Kyoto]]
|-
| [[Atsuta Matsuri|Atsuta]]
| held at [[Atsuta Shrine]] in June
| [[Nagoya]]
|-
| [[Awa Odori]]
| held at [[Tokushima, Tokushima]] in August
| [[Tokushima, Tokushima]]
|-
| [[Hakata Dontaku|Dontaku]]
| held on 3–4 May
| [[Fukuoka]]
|-
| [[Gion Matsuri|Gion]]
| held in July
| Kyoto
|-
| [[Hadaka Matsuri|Hadaka]]
| held in February
| [[Okayama]]
|-
| [[Hakata Gion Yamakasa]]
| held at [[Kushida-jinja (Fukuoka)|Kushida-jinja]] in July
| [[Fukuoka]]
|-
| [[Hōnen Matsuri|Hōnen]]
| held at Tagata Shrine in March
| [[Komaki, Aichi|Komaki]]
|-
| [[Jidai Matsuri|Jidai]]
| held on October 22
| Kyoto
|-
| [[Kanamara Matsuri|Kanamara]]
| held at Kanayama shrine in April
| [[Kawasaki, Kanagawa|Kawasaki]]
|-
| [[Kanda Matsuri|Kanda]]
| held at [[Kanda Myojin]] shrine in May
| Tokyo
|-
| [[Akita Kantō|Kanto]]
| held on August 3–7
| [[Akita, Akita|Akita]]
|-
| [[Kishiwada Danjiri Matsuri|Kishiwada Danjiri]]
| held in September
| [[Kishiwada, Osaka|Kishiwada]]
|-
|[[Kumagaya Uchiwa Festival]]
|held on July 19–23
|[[Saitama Prefecture|Saitama]]
|-
|[[Nagasaki Kunchi]]
|held on 7–9 October
|[[Nagasaki]]
|-
| [[Miki Autumn Harvest Festival]]
| held at [[Ōmiya Hachiman Shrine (Hyōgo)|Ōmiya Hachiman Shrine]] in October
| [[Miki, Hyōgo|Miki]]
|-
| [[Nada no Kenka Matsuri|Nada no Kenka]] ([[:ja:灘のけんか祭り|ja]])
| held at Matsubara Hachiman Shrine in October 14–15
| [[Himeji, Hyōgo|Himeji]]
|-
| [[Nagoya Matsuri|Nagoya]]
| held in Hisaya Ōdori Park in [[Sakae, Nagoya]]
| Nagoya
|-
| [[Aomori Nebuta Matsuri|Nebuta]]
| held from August 2–7
| [[Aomori]]
|-
|[[Ojima Neputa Festival]]
|held on August 14–15
|[[Gunma Prefecture|Gunma]]
|-
| [[Sanja Matsuri|Sanja]]
| held at [[Asakusa Shrine]] in May
| Tokyo
|-
| [[Sannō Matsuri|Sannō]]
| held at [[Hie Shrine]] in June
| Tokyo
|-
| [[Tanabata]]
| held on 6–8 August
| [[Sendai]]
|-
| [[Tenjin Matsuri|Tenjin]]
| held at [[Ōsaka Tenman-gū]] in July
| [[Osaka]]
|-
| [[Mount Wakakusa|Wakakusa Yamayaki]]
| held at [[Nara, Nara|Nara]] in fourth Saturday of January
| [[Nara, Nara|Nara]]
|-
| [[Yosakoi|Yosakoi Matsuri]]
| held in [[Kōchi, Kōchi|Kōchi]] in August
| [[Kōchi, Kōchi|Kōchi]]
|-
| [[Yotaka Masturi|Yotaka]]
| held at [[Tonami, Toyama]] in June
| [[Toyama Prefecture|Toyama]]
|-
|}

===Sapporo Snow Festival (Hokkaido)===
[[Sapporo Snow Festival]] is one of the largest festivals of the year in [[Sapporo]], held in February for one week. It began in 1950 when high school students built snow statues in Odori Park, central Sapporo. The event is now very large and commercialized. About a dozen large sculptures are built for the festival along with around 100 smaller snow and [[ice sculpture]]s. Several concerts and other events are also held.

===Lake Towada Snow Festival===
This lake festival is held in the beginning of February. Held in the town of Yasumiya, this festival is on the south side of [[Lake Towada]] (near the wooden statues). This festival is open all day, but at 5&nbsp;pm one can enjoy activities such as going through a snow maze, exploring a Japanese igloo, and eat foods from Aomori and Akita prefectures. There is a fireworks show and events held on an ice stage.

===[[Aomori Nebuta Matsuri|Aomori Nebuta Festival]]===
This festival is held annually and features colorful lantern floats called nebuta which are pulled through the streets of Central Aomori. This festival is held from about August 2–7 every year. This event attracts millions of visitors. During this festival, 20 large nebuta floats are paraded through the streets near Aomori JR rail station. These floats are constructed of wooden bases and metal frames. Japanese papers, called washi, are painted onto the frames. These amazing floats are finished off with the historical figures or kabuki being painted on the paper. These floats can take up to a year to complete. There is a dance portion of this festival. There are haneto dancers and they wear special costumes for this dance. Everyone is welcome to purchase their own haneto costume that they may too join in on the fun (Mishima, Aomori Nebuta Festival).

===Nango Summer Jazz Festival===
This event is held every year. Thousands of artists from all over Tohoku and even further regions come to Nango to perform. This is the largest open-air jazz concert held in Tohoku region. This festival began in 1989, in a small venue indoors. There was such a large response from the fans that it was expanded into a large annual festival. One must purchase tickets for this event (Bernard, 2007). This summer jazz festival does not cost anything but potential members of the public still need to receive a ticket to enter the event.

===Cherry blossom festivals===
Japan celebrates the entire season of the cherry blossoms. There are festivals in nearly every region of Japan, and some locations, food is available or a park may be decorated with lanterns.
Some locations of cherry blossom festivals include:
*Yaedake Cherry Blossom Festival in [[Okinawa Prefecture|Okinawa]]. This festival takes place from late January – mid February
*[[Matsuyama Shiroyama Koen Cherry Blossom Festival]] in Matsuyama-city, Ehime. This festival takes place early April.
*Matsue Jozan Koen Festival in Matsue-city, Shimane. This festival has a feature of illuminating the cherry blossom trees at night. This festival takes place late March-early April.
*Tsuyama Kakuzan Koen Cherry Blossom Festival in Tsuyama-city, Okayama. Japanese tea ceremonies and music performers are held at these festivals. This festival is held early-mid April.
*Takato Joshi Koen Cherry Blossom Festival in Takato-machi Ina-city, Nagano prefecture. The trees in this region have pink blossoms. This festival is held early April.
*Takada Koen Cherry Blossom Festival in Joetsu-city, Niigata prefecture. This festival is held early-mid April.
*Kitakai Tenshochi Cherry Blossom Festival in Kitakami-city, Iwate. This festival is held mid April-early May.
*Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival held in Hirosaki Koen Hirosaki-city, Aomori prefecture. This festival is held late April-early May (Mishima, Cherry Blossom Festivals 2010).