What to do and see in Kinki, Japan: The Best Events

A fireworks festival held in Miyazuwan, famous for Amanohashidate, one of Japan's three most scenic spots. As the sun sets over the ocean, colorfully decorated ships of souls and 10,000 lanterns float out to sea, and the glittering of the red and white lights against the surface of the water creates a magical atmosphere. Then fireworks are launched, and the beautiful fireworks color the night sky until the Star Mine climax over the ocean. After the fireworks, the festival continues with a Bon dance competition, and crowds of people dance while enjoying the lingering memories of the fireworks.

The Gion Matsuri is Japan's most famous festival, with its origins reaching back all the way to 869. Spanning the whole month of July, it is studded with benchmark events. The most breathtaking of these is the Yamaboko Junko on July 17th, which sees a procession of 80-foot tall wheeled floats paraded throughout the city. The event is repeated on a smaller scale on the 24th. Yoiyama evening celebrations leading up to the parade close off the main streets to automotive traffic and fill them instead with food, drink, and game stalls. Visitors earlier in the month are welcome to watch the massive floats being assembled by hand for the celebration.

The Inagawa Fireworks Festival is held over the Inagawa river. For the occasion, stands and food stalls are erected, giving the entire area a cheerful atmosphere as friends in yukata share shaved ice and fried noodles. When nightfall comes, the summer sky is lit up by rockets, and those who came early to reserve their seats are rewarded with a brilliant view.

A fireworks festival held on the banks of the Oigawa River about five minutes walk from JR Yagi Station, it used to be known as the "Yagi Fireworks Festival." It started in 1947, shortly after the end of the war, to commemorate those who died in the war, and this continues to this day with about 500 lanterns set afloat to create a magical atmosphere before the fireworks display. The festival mood is enhanced by an opening event, featuring song and dance, and a village of street stalls.

A "homemade" fireworks festival that was started in 1989 by local volunteers who loved the Yodogawa River. Today it is held on the Shin-Yodogawa River in early August every year and is a tradition of summer in Osaka. The collaboration of fireworks exploded under the surface of the river and Star Mines launched high into the night sky, and the dual performance of light and sound as multiple shakutama fireworks are launched all at once and synchronized with music make a wonderful sight. Also popular is a segment of novelty fireworks that make strange shapes or scatter in all directions.

A festival of light, which has been held in December every year since 1995 as a memorial and requiem of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, and to pray for recovery of the town. Geometric illuminations decorate the squares and streets, and during the festival a corridor of light called the Galleria runs through Nakamachi-dori street. In its heyday the festival attracted more than 5 million visitors but in recent years, due to energy-saving policies and a shortened festival period, it draws between 3 and 3.5 Million.

The first festival of Ebisu, it takes place around January 10th and is intended to pray for prosperity in business. In the case of Imamiya Ebisu Shrine in Osaka it is held on January 9th to 11th, and is famous for the lucky charm known as Fukuzasa. The small charms you attach to the Fukuzasa are also known as kiccho and include koban coins, sea bream, straw rice bags, eboshi (headgear worn by nobles), and mallets. Also drawing big crowds is the "Hoekago Parade," in which geishas and famous entertainers ride in "hoekago" (palanquins) along with the shout of "Hoekago-hoekago, Eraiyatcha-eraiyatcha."

The festival floats and drum floats used as an offering in festivals are called danjiri in western Japan, and "Danjiri Matsuri" is a collective term for festivals that use them. Particularly famous is the Kishiwada Danjiri Matsuri, in which danjiri, some weighing up to 4 tons, are decorated with carvings, paper lanterns, and banners and vigorously hauled through the streets. It is known as a boisterous festival, but the intensity and flamboyance captivate tourists. In the old days, it was held during the eighth month of the traditional Japanese calendar, but since 2006, it has been held on the Saturday and Sunday before Respect for the Aged Day (the third Monday in September).

A fireworks display held every summer in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture. A variety of about 3,500 fireworks, such as Star Mines, rapid-fire fireworks, and gimmicks, are launched from a location of 300m offshore of Shirahama beach. A special feature of the display is that it is a fantastic production with a story and synchronized music and fireworks, and it attracts a lot of people. Above all, there is the Niagara which extends to a width of 1km, and the fantastic sight of a waterfall of light pouring into the sea like bunches of stardust is impressive, and invites the viewer to another world. On the day, there are also many stalls open around the venue.

A fireworks display that is a popular tradition to decorate the summer nights of Lake Biwa. About 10,000 fireworks are launched from barges floating off the lakeshore in Otsu Harbor, Shiga Prefecture. There are a wide variety of places from which to view the display, from the paid viewing area where fireworks are launched right in front of your eyes, the free admission civic center area, the somewhat distant Biwako Hall area, or the Nionohama area where you can watch at your leisure. There are also group tours for viewing from Lake Biwa Boat Race stadium. There are many dining options in the surrounding area, so you can also enjoy a meal before and after viewing.