Japan’s wildest Festivals: 16 totally insane Matsuri events

INTRODUCTION

In Japan, the sacred and the absurd sometimes walk hand in hand. It happens during certain matsuri where religiosity gives way to play, provocation, and organized madness. There are those who parade naked in the snow, carry enormous phallic symbols through crowds, or dance to exhaustion under the blazing sun. These festivals don’t just entertain: they challenge conventions, break taboos, and reveal an unexpected Japan that laughs at itself with intelligence and self-irony.

To truly understand what matsuri (祭) are and why they take such diverse forms, you can delve deeper by reading this post.

But now it’s time to discover the 16 craziest, most eccentric, and outrageous festivals in Japan: a journey through archaic rites and contemporary carnivals, where the only rule is to be amazed.

1. JANUARY

Dezomeshiki (Across Japan)

📅 Date: Around January 6
📍 Location: Parks, squares, and major streets of Tokyo (Meiji Jingu Gaien) and other cities

Concept and Unique Features:

• Acrobatic firefighter parade with jumps from poles up to 10 m high
• Synchronized aerial choreography with water jets
• Historical Edo-period uniforms and modern rescue demonstrations

The Dezomeshiki is much more than a technical demonstration: it’s a true circus spectacle honoring fire protection for the new year. Firefighters perform daring stunts, climb smooth poles barehanded, and create synchronized water jets to the rhythm of drums and brass. The mix of shogunate tradition and contemporary technique makes the event unique, captivating families and adrenaline enthusiasts alike.

History and Significance:
Originating in the Meiji period as a fire preparedness test, blessing, and renewal, it honors the protective spirit of firefighters.

Food and Things to Try:
Chicken yakitori, hot oden, and firefighter-themed sweets (e.g., karinto shaped like fire hydrants).

Recommended Attire:
Casual winter clothing with jacket and gloves; many spectators wear red hats and scarves in Motifin tribute to the firefighters.

Accessibility for Tourists:
Good, with dedicated viewing areas and announcements in English in major cities.

Practical Tips:
Arrive early for a front-row spot; bring a thermos with hot drinks and a small umbrella in case of splashes.

Why Visit It:
To see firefighters defy gravity and fear in a festival that blends ritual, extreme sport, and spectacle.

Tōdō Yakuyoke Dondoyaki (Kawasaki)

📅 Date: Mid-January (varies each year)
📍 Location: Kawasaki Daishi Heiken-ji Shrine, Kawasaki

Concept and Unique Features:

• Giant collective bonfire of amulets and New Year decorations
• Shinto blessing ceremony with priests and taiko drums
• Ritual run around the flames to ward off bad luck

The Dondoyaki in Kawasaki is a highly scenic purification rite: thousands of people gather around a bonfire up to 5 meters high, throwing in amulets, ki-rin kagami (straw rings), and decorations from the past year. The flames crackle amid the shouts of participants, who symbolically run around the fire to free themselves from ailments and misfortune. The atmosphere is cathartic and almost wild, uniting popular faith and community spirit.

History and Significance:
Derived from ancient Shinto rites for renewal and the expulsion of evil spirits after New Year’s.

Food and Things to Try:
Grilled dango, crispy yaki-mochi, and hot amazake offered by the temple.

Recommended Attire:
Casual winter clothing with ash-resistant items; a scarf or bandana to protect the neck.

Accessibility for Tourists:
Fair; many materials are in Japanese, but locals gladly help foreign visitors.

Practical Tips:
Keep a safe distance from the bonfire, follow volunteer instructions, and bring extra matches or lighters for your offerings.

Why Visit It:
To experience the primal power of fire as an act of cleansing and rebirth, in a ritual that ignites body and spirit.

2. FEBRUARY

Setsubun Matsuri (Across Japan)

📅 Date: February 3–4
📍 Location: Major temples and shrines across Japan (Kiyomizudera in Kyoto, Senso-ji in Tokyo)

Concept and Unique Features:

• Bean-throwing to ward off demons (mamemaki)
• Actors dressed as oni (demons) and theatrical celebrations
• Local celebrities throwing snacks, money, and amulets

The Setsubun Matsuri is the carnival of purification, where Japan confronts its demons… literally. In major temples like Kiyomizudera in Kyoto or Senso-ji in Tokyo, crowds gather to catch beans thrown from balconies packed with celebrities, monks, and even giant mascots. The lucky ones snag snacks, good luck charms, or even coins. The oni (Japanese demons) make their appearance amid smoke and laughter, only to be symbolically chased away with shouts of “Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!” (“Demons out, fortune in!”). The tone is playful yet tied to deeply felt renewal rites, perfect for those who love lively folklore.

History and Significance:
An ancient end-of-winter rite, born to purify homes and communities from evil spirits and misfortune in preparation for the new agricultural year.

Food and Things to Try:
Ehomaki, a rolled sushi to be eaten in silence while facing the year’s “lucky direction.”

Recommended Attire:
Warm winter clothing, perhaps with a touch of red (a color that repels spirits).

Accessibility for Tourists:
High, especially at major temples. Celebrations are open to all and often explained in English.

Practical Tips:
Arrive early to get a spot near the bean-throwing area. Bring a bag if you want to collect more omamori and snacks!

Why Visit It:
To experience an ancient ritual in a joyful and theatrical way, where chasing demons becomes a collective game.

Hadaka Matsuri (Okayama)

📅 Date: Third Saturday of February
📍 Location: Saidai-ji Temple, Okayama

Concept and Unique Features:

• Thousands of nearly naked men vying for sacred sticks
• Freezing night, ritual chaos, and intense physical contact
• Male-only event with a stadium-like atmosphere

The Hadaka Matsuri is an unparalleled event: thousands of men in traditional white loincloths (fundoshi) and ceremonial footwear (tabi) engage in a chaotic and visceral competition to seize two sacred sticks (shingi) thrown by a monk. It takes place at night in the dead of winter, with temperatures often freezing. Amid chants, water splashes, and tension more akin to an arena than a temple, it’s a purification ritual with the energy of a sports final. The shouts, sweat, and steam rising from the crowd create a hypnotic and primal atmosphere, fascinating even for spectators.

History and Significance:
A Shinto purification rite for good fortune, dating back over 500 years.

Food and Things to Try:
Nothing specific, but nearby you can often find energizing local dishes like hot udon and restorative soups.

Recommended Attire:
If you’re a spectator, bundle up! It’s freezing. If participating (registration required), be prepared to wear only the fundoshi.

Accessibility for Tourists:
Fair. English information isn’t everywhere, but the temple is organized and welcoming to foreign visitors.

Practical Tips:
Reach Okayama by train (Shinkansen from Osaka or Tokyo), then take a bus to the temple. Bring a flashlight and dress in layers.

Why Visit It:
To witness one of Japan’s most extreme and intense festivals, where the body is the absolute protagonist of the ritual.

3. MARCH – APRIL – MAY

Tagata Matsuri (Komaki, Aichi)

📅 Date: March 15
📍 Location: Tagata Shrine, Komaki, Aichi Prefecture

Concept and Unique Features:

• Celebration of fertility with gigantic phallic symbols
• Procession of phallus-shaped mikoshi
• Festive and colorful atmosphere, blending devotion and popular folklore

The Tagata Matsuri is a one-of-a-kind festival dedicated to fertility and prosperity, attracting thousands of visitors each year. At the center of the scene are enormous phallus-shaped mikoshi, carried in procession through the streets of Komaki in a riot of colors, music, and cheer. The festival blends the sacred and the profane in a mix of traditional rites and popular celebration, with participants celebrating life and fertility through songs, dances, and rituals. It’s an intense and unique experience, leaving a vivid and unusual memory of a lesser-known Japan.

History and Significance:
Originating from ancient Shinto rites, the festival celebrates the fertility of the land and human prosperity, with symbols evoking vital strength.

Food and Things to Try:
Traditional sweets and amazake (a sweet fermented rice drink) typical of the festival.

Recommended Attire:
Spring casual or a light yukata to immerse yourself in the atmosphere.

Accessibility for Tourists:
Moderate; Komaki is reachable by public transport, but English information is limited.

Practical Tips:
Plan your trip in advance, especially for accommodation; bring a camera to capture the festival’s energy.

Why Visit It:
To discover a surprising and vibrant side of Japanese culture, between millennial tradition and an unconventional popular festival.

Kanamara Matsuri (Kawasaki)

📅 Date: First Sunday of April
📍 Location: Waka-miya Hachimangu Shrine, Kawasaki

Concept and Unique Features:

• Penis-shaped mikoshi carried in procession
• Irreverent and festive atmosphere with laughter and broken taboos
• Sexual-themed souvenirs and sweets

At the Kanamara Matsuri, the ancient blends with the absurd. Amid cherry blossoms and crowded streets, genital-shaped mikoshi are paraded with pride and playful spirit. It’s a festival that speaks of fertility, protection, and irony, in a climate of total openness and inclusivity. Stalls sell phallic lollipops and themed souvenirs, while families, couples, and groups of friends laugh, take photos, and enjoy the event’s gentle madness. Behind the humor, there’s also an ancient seriousness: the cult of life, sexuality, and healing, especially regarding sexually transmitted diseases. The result is an experience that surprises, amuses, and touches deep chords.

History and Significance:
Born as a Shinto rite to protect against evils and promote fertility, dating back to the Edo period, it is now also linked to sexual awareness and the fight against HIV.

Food and Things to Try:
Phallic sweets, lollipops, and humorous cookies, sold only during the festival.

Recommended Attire:
Casual or a colorful yukata for those who want to get into the festive mood. Comfortable shoes for walking among the stalls.

Accessibility for Tourists:
High: just 20 minutes from Tokyo, with signs in English. Very inclusive atmosphere, but not recommended for families with children.

Practical Tips:
Arrive early to avoid crowds. Book accommodation in Kawasaki or Tokyo. Bring cash: many vendors don’t accept cards.

Why Visit It:
To discover Japan’s most shameless (and cheerful) side, where spirituality and irony coexist without shame.

Dorome Matsuri (Kōchi)

📅 Date: Late April
📍 Location: Akaoka Temple and Kōchi port area

Concept and Unique Features:

• Public drinking contest of raw sake in giant cups
• Participants (men and women) challenge themselves and the audience
• Port festival with dances, music, and collective (alcoholic) spirit

The Dorome Matsuri is the festival of extreme drinking, but with local elegance: participants, dressed in fisherman’s happi, compete to see who can drink a huge cup of raw sake the fastest in front of hundreds of cheering spectators. It’s all accompanied by laughter, chants, and small theatrical performances. It’s a community event but also a celebration of nihonshu culture and Japanese hospitality.

History and Significance:
Originally born to celebrate the start of the fishing season and honor the sea gods. “Dorome” is a type of young sardine, the festival’s symbol.

Food and Things to Try:
Local raw sake (unpasteurized), fried fish, dorome sashimi (if available).

Recommended Attire:
Casual summer wear; many people wear happi (festival jackets).

Accessibility for Tourists:
Low: very local and little known outside Kōchi. Perfect if you want to see something authentic and off the beaten path.

Practical Tips:
Avoid driving! Take advantage of the proximity to the local station and drink in moderation.

Why Visit It:
To experience a rural festival where cheer, sake, and the spirit of sharing become one.

Hakata Dontaku (Fukuoka)

📅 Date: May 3–4
📍 Location: Fukuoka city center (Tenjin and Hakata areas)

Concept and Unique Features:

• Urban parade with over 30,000 participants in colorful costumes
• Dance groups and bands playing shamoji (rice paddles)
• Direct audience involvement: you can join the parade!

The Hakata Dontaku is one of Japan’s most participatory festivals: two days of music, dance, and unbridled cheer that invade the heart of Fukuoka. Here, there are no barriers between spectators and participants: anyone can grab a shamoji and join the flow. The costumes are colorful, halfway between carnival and musical, and decorated floats traverse the city while school bands, theater companies, and folk groups alternate in a continuous performance. The streets turn into a living stage, and the atmosphere is one of contagious spontaneity. It’s the kind of festival that surprises you even if you don’t know what to expect.

History and Significance:
Derived from ancient New Year celebrations adapted to spring; dontaku comes from the Dutch “zondag” (Sunday), and the festival is a symbol of rebirth and popular celebration.

Food and Things to Try:
Hakata ramen, the city’s symbol, and local street food like mentaiko onigiri and yakitori served along the route.

Recommended Attire:
Spring casual. If you want to participate, bring a decorated shamoji (or buy one there!). Comfortable shoes are a must.

Accessibility for Tourists:
Very high. English signs, friendly staff, and the festival is accessible even for non-Japanese speakers.

Practical Tips:
Stay near Tenjin or Hakata. Use public transport; many roads are closed. Avoid driving.

Why Visit It:
To feel part of something big, joyful, and suddenly familiar, even without understanding anything that’s happening.

4. JUNE – JULY

Kaeru Matsuri (Fukuoka)

📅 Date: June (variable date)
📍 Location: Dōtonbori, Hakata district, Fukuoka

Concept and Unique Features:

• Parades with giant frog masks
• Funny dances and street theater performances
• Symbolism of “return” and good luck for those coming home

The Kaeru Matsuri transforms Fukuoka’s streets into an amphibious stage: two-meter-tall frog masks and frog costumes invade the Hakata district, accompanied by wild dances and comic sketches. The term “kaeru” means both “frog” and “to return,” and the festival is dedicated to protecting travelers and the return of prosperity. The performances are a mix of popular comedy and Zen ritual, sure to make you smile and leave you with a sense of lightness.

History and Significance:
Originating from ancient auspicious rites to protect merchants and travelers, today it celebrates the bond between community and fortune.

Food and Things to Try:
White fish skewers and frog-themed kuzumochi rice sweets sold along the route.

Recommended Attire:
Casual summer wear, with a touch of green or yellow if you want to get into the festival spirit.

Accessibility for Tourists:
High, thanks to its proximity to Fukuoka’s center and English signs in the district.

Practical Tips:
Arrive by subway (Kuko line to Hakata Station) and bring a camera: every corner offers an Instagrammable moment!

Why Visit It:
To smile with the locals and discover a festival that combines play, symbolism, and folklore in a kaleidoscope of colors.

Hakata Gion Yamakasa (Fukuoka)

📅 Date: July 1–15 (main event on July 15)
📍 Location: Fukuoka, Hakata district

Concept and Unique Features:

• Spectacular race of enormous decorated floats (kakiyama) through the streets
• Intense competition among teams of bearers
• Festive and religious fervor atmosphere, with Shinto rituals

The Hakata Gion Yamakasa is one of Japan’s most famous and intense festivals, known for its frantic race where teams of men dressed only in shimekomi (loincloths) carry gigantic decorated floats through the streets of Hakata. The sound of drums, shouts of encouragement, and impressive speed create an overwhelming spectacle that attracts thousands of spectators. The festival is a mix of competition, tradition, and spirituality, rooted in Shinto rituals of purification and city protection. It’s an adrenaline-pumping experience that makes both body and spirit vibrate.

History and Significance:
The festival celebrates protection against calamities and purification, with origins dating back over 700 years.

Food and Things to Try:
Motsunabe (beef offal stew), yakitori, and rice sweets are popular specialties during the event.

Recommended Attire:
Light and comfortable clothing, but participants wear the traditional shimekomi.

Accessibility for Tourists:
Good; Fukuoka is a large, well-connected city with plenty of English information available.

Practical Tips:
Book accommodation well in advance; arrive early to find a good spot along the route; prepare for July’s intense heat.

Why Visit It:
To experience a festival that combines strength, tradition, and community in a spectacular, adrenaline-fueled event.

5. AUGUST – SEPTEMBER

Awa Odori (Tokushima)

📅 Date: August 12–15
📍 Location: Tokushima, city center and designated dance areas

Concept and Unique Features:

• Group street dances led by traditional musicians
• Audience involvement in simple, hypnotic dances
• Lively and surreal atmosphere: a Japanese-style nighttime carnival

The Awa Odori is one of Japan’s most irresistible and visually magnetic festivals. For four days, the streets of Tokushima become an uninterrupted stream of movement, music, and light. Dance groups (ren) perform rhythmic choreographies to the compelling sounds of shamisen, taiko, and flutes, with costumes swaying under lit lanterns. But what strikes you is the sheer madness of it all: the funny yet elegant movements, the almost trance-like rhythm, the laughter among strangers. “The fools who dance and those who watch are the same,” says a proverb tied to the festival, and you realize it’s true only when you find yourself dancing too, without knowing how.

History and Significance:
Dating back to the 16th century, it began as a spontaneous celebration after the inauguration of Tokushima Castle. Today, it’s a symbol of expressive freedom and popular communion.

Food and Things to Try:
Sudachi chuhai (refreshing local citrus cocktail), Tokushima ramen, and summer sweets like plum-flavored kakigori.

Recommended Attire:
Light yukata if you want to dance, otherwise comfortable summer clothing. Closed shoes recommended for long walks.

Accessibility for Tourists:
Very high, though the city fills up: English signs, yukata rentals, and opportunities to join the dances.

Practical Tips:
Book well in advance (even 4–6 months ahead). Trains to Tokushima fill up, so consider night buses too. Very hot and humid weather: bring a towel and water bottle.

Why Visit It:
To let yourself be swept away… literally… into the dancing madness of one of Japan’s most liberating festivals.

Kishiwada Danjiri Matsuri (Kishiwada)

📅 Date: Mid-September
📍 Location: Kishiwada, Osaka Prefecture

Concept and Unique Features:

• Carved wooden floats pulled at full speed
• Men running and jumping on the roofs of the floats
• Competitive spirit between neighborhoods and pure adrenaline

The Kishiwada Danjiri Matsuri is the festival that defies common sense and gravity. In mid-September, the town of Kishiwada turns into an urban arena where neighborhoods compete by pulling enormous wooden floats (danjiri) at reckless speeds through tight curves and intersections. Each float is a masterpiece of craftsmanship, carved in minute detail, but the real attraction is the men who, shouting and dancing, climb onto the roofs of the racing floats. The result is a breathtaking spectacle, between real danger and local pride, blending the sacred and the wild like few events in the world.

History and Significance:
Started in the 18th century as a prayer for agricultural abundance, the festival is now a symbol of identity and community challenge.

Food and Things to Try:
Takoyaki served straight from street stalls, spicy yakisoba, and ice-cold beer everywhere.

Recommended Attire:
Battle-ready casual. Shorts, comfortable shoes, a cap. No frills: here, you run.

Accessibility for Tourists:
Less tourist-oriented but easily reachable from Osaka. Energetic and authentic atmosphere.

Practical Tips:
Take the Nankai Line from Osaka (about 20 min). Arrive early to find a good viewing spot, especially near Kishiwada Castle.

Why Visit It:
To see the essence of matsuri: wood, sweat, speed, and men who seem to fly.

6. OCTOBER – NOVEMBER – DECEMBER

Paantu Matsuri (Miyakojima, Okinawa)

📅 Date: October (variable dates, according to the lunar calendar)
📍 Location: Miyakojima Island, Shimajiri village

Concept and Unique Features:

• Masked men covered in sacred mud chase passersby
• Houses, children, tourists, and cars are touched (and dirtied)
• Spirit-chasing and good luck rite amid shouts, chaos, and laughter

The Paantu is a sacred and eerie being: covered in black mud and vegetation, with a demonic mask, it roams the village looking for people to touch and soil. But beware: if it hits you, it’s a sign of luck. A ceremony that blends childhood terror, popular magic, and cathartic chaos. If you get dirty, you’re blessed.

History and Significance:
An ancient purification rite to protect the community from evil spirits and bring fertility and abundance.

Food and Things to Try:
Typical Okinawan dishes: soki soba (rib soup), rafute (braised pork), Orion beer.

Recommended Attire:
Old clothes and washable shoes. If you want to avoid being touched, stay away (but it’s almost impossible!).

Accessibility for Tourists:
Medium: Miyakojima is off the main routes but very hospitable. Authentic and fascinating event.

Practical Tips:
Leave white clothes at home. Bring towels and spare shoes. Be ready to laugh (and run!).

Why Visit It:
Because no other festival blesses you… by throwing you into the mud.

Nada no Kenka Matsuri (Himeji)

📅 Date: October 14–15
📍 Location: Himeji, Matsubara Hachiman Shrine

Concept and Unique Features:

• Violent clashes between shoulder-borne mikoshi floats
• Ritual competition between local villages
• Atmosphere charged with tension, courage, and community spirit

If you thought Japanese matsuri were only about sweetness, yukata, and fireworks, the Nada no Kenka Matsuri will change your mind. The heart of the festival is the actual physical clashes between mikoshi, heavy portable shrines, intentionally smashed into each other by bearers from neighboring villages. The goal? To impress the gods with strength and courage, to earn prosperity. It’s a no-holds-barred festival: roaring, carnal, brutal in its ritualism, where sweat, wounds, and adrenaline intertwine with ancestral faith. The crowd shouts, drums resound, and each collision between mikoshi seems to shake the earth itself.

History and Significance:
A Shinto festival with medieval origins, designed to propitiate an abundant harvest and to show men’s strength to the god Hachiman.

Food and Things to Try:
Grilled chicken skewers (yakitori) and homemade dishes offered by local communities, often accompanied by hot sake.

Recommended Attire:
Comfortable casual with sturdy closed shoes. Be careful: you might find yourself in very crowded and chaotic scenes.

Accessibility for Tourists:
Well-organized for visitors, with safe viewing areas. Few English translations, but locals are welcoming and curious.

Practical Tips:
Himeji is easily reachable by train from Osaka or Kyoto (30–60 min). Autumn weather (15–22°C), bring a light jacket. Arrive early for a good viewing spot.

Why Visit It:
To witness the rawest and most courageous side of Japanese spirituality: when devotion is measured in clashes, sweat, and collective determination.

Tori-no-Ichi (Tokyo and other cities)

📅 Date: Rooster Days (November, variable dates according to the lunar calendar)
📍 Location: Otori Shrines in Tokyo and across Japan

Concept and Unique Features:

• Open-air markets with stalls selling kumade (lucky rakes)
• Festive and business atmosphere, with typical vendor shouts
• Tradition tied to prosperity and abundance

The Tori-no-Ichi is a festival dedicated to business and good fortune, with noisy markets where kumade are sold—rakes decorated with propitiatory symbols like gold coins, fish, and dragons. Vendors call out to customers with loud voices, and there’s a true ritual in buying and clapping hands to ward off bad luck and attract wealth. The atmosphere is electric, a mix of ancient and modern, where every gesture is laden with meaning and hope for the future. Here, not only tradition is celebrated, but social and commercial relationships are also built.

History and Significance:
Originally a ritual to propitiate good luck in trade, dating back to the Edo period, it is now an essential event for businesspeople.

Food and Things to Try:
Traditional sweets like kaminari-okoshi (puffed rice bars), yakitori, and taiyaki from the stalls.

Recommended Attire:
Casual winter wear with scarves and hats for the cold.

Accessibility for Tourists:
Excellent, with easy subway access and English signage in more touristy areas.

Practical Tips:
The festival lasts throughout November on Rooster Days; choose less crowded days if you prefer tranquility. Bring cash for purchases.

Why Visit It:
To experience an authentic slice of Japanese commercial culture, amid colors, sounds, and hopes for prosperity.

Akutai Matsuri (Iitsuna)

📅 Date: Third Sunday of December
📍 Location: Iitsuna, Iitsuna Shrine and Atago Shrine, Niigata

Concept and Unique Features:

• Priests dressed as tengu
• Insults shouted at the top of their lungs
• Struggle for sacred offerings

Let yourself be swept away by the liberating energy of the Akutai Matsuri, a unique festival where thirteen Shinto priests, masked as tengu with long noses and white robes, lead a shouting crowd along a mountain path, yelling insults and curses to drive away evil spirits. The atmosphere is a mix of playful chaos and spirituality, with participants vying for sacred offerings in a playful yet intense struggle, while Niigata’s snow adds a touch of winter magic. This cathartic ritual, which allows for the release of stress and tension, combines tradition with an irreverence that makes the festival an unforgettable experience, perfect for those seeking an unconventional Japan.

History and Significance:
Born in the Edo period, the festival allows locals to express grievances or ward off evil through ritual insults, celebrating purification.

Food and Things to Try:
Try kiritanpo, a grilled rice skewer typical of Niigata, often served hot during the festival to warm up.

Recommended Attire:
Warm, waterproof clothing for Niigata’s winter cold (0-5°C). A hat and gloves are useful for the mountain walk.

Accessibility for Tourists:
Not very touristy but open to all. Requires an adventurous spirit and basic Japanese knowledge, as English information is limited.

Practical Tips:
Reach Iitsuna by train from Niigata (about 1 hour). Book accommodations in the area in advance, given its local character. Bring sturdy shoes for the snowy path.

Why Visit It:
Free your spirit in a festival where shouting insults under the snow becomes a rite of purification and unbridled fun!

7. CONCLUSION

You’ve just traversed an unconventional Japan: one that dances, plays, and exorcises seriousness with irreverent rites and surreal situations. Whether it was a phallic lollipop or a parade of wild danjiri, these festivals tell an authentic and liberating side of Japanese culture. A side that isn’t afraid to laugh, even at itself.

If you enjoyed discovering this bizarre and overwhelming face of Japan, save this guide or share it with those who aren’t afraid to think outside the box.

And now, if you want to explore other matsuri worlds or plan your ideal trip, check out the links below.

10. ⭐️ USEFUL LINKS

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Written by: Dromediary