Event

Though the air is getting hot and sticky and permanently filled with the perma-drone of cicadas, July is perhaps one of the best months in Japan (and not just because it’s my birthday). That’s July marks the beginning of the matsuri [festival] season. It is a time when local communities gather in their yukata or jinbei dress to celebrate ancient traditions, pray to local deities or, more often than not, eat some good food and get a little bit squiffy. There are a good number of matsuri in and around Nagoya this month, and below you can find a few select ones that you should definitely check out. Nagoya Port Festival While there are hanabi [firework] matsuri earlier in the summer (the Nishi-Biwajima and Atsuta festivals, for example, occur in June), this is the first big one of the year. Taking place on the ‘marine day’ public holiday, the Nagoya Port Festival, or Nagoya Minato Matsuri as it is also called, began in 1946 as a celebration to help raise spirits and encourage positivity following the destruction caused by WW2. The festival runs from 12:30, but the main draw for the huge crowds is the display of around 3,000 fireworks.…