Japanese festivals
Lanterns, drums, shrines
Japanese festivals, called *matsuri*, are community celebrations tied to Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples, or seasonal events.
They typically feature processions, portable shrines carried through streets, traditional music and dance, and food stalls.
Major festivals mark harvests, honor deities, or commemorate the dead.
We visited Kyoto during the Gion festival.
- cherry blossom viewingAdmiring spring tree flowers
- celebrationFestive event marking occasion
- taiko drummingJapanese ceremonial percussion art
- shrineSacred devotional place
- traditionCustom passed through generations
ritual · temple · cherry blossoms · autumn harvest · torii gate · sacred dance · folk traditions · kimono · summer · paper lanterns · masks · Shinto shrines · floats · festivity · crowds · street vendors · taiko · drums
Japanese festivalsChinese festivals
Cultural celebrations from China
Indian festivals · Brazilian Carnival · Mardi Gras · Oktoberfest · Day of the Dead