Kobe Festival

Harvest time in autumn/fall is important across the world. Each region has different rituals associated with this time of year (September – November). In Japan, the autumn harvest is celebrated with festivals and events in each region, many of which aren’t that different from those you’d find in the US or Europe. Harvest Time in Japan The Japanese harvest festival traditions are associated with the rice harvest. Autumn harvest festivals and events are held across the country between September and November. In many rural villages, traditional rituals are still observed, such as offering harvest rice to the gods. The bigger cities still hold community harvest events. Traditionally, the autumn rice could not be eaten until after festivals in honor of the rice spirit. Nowadays, festivities are seen more as ways of bringing communities together. Most places will have three festivals – tsukimi, which is a harvest moon-viewing festival that occurs in mid-September or early October, a local harvest festival that can take place over a day or weekend normally in October; and shinjo-sai, which is the Japanese thanksgiving day on the 23rd of November. Harvest festival activities in Kansai *Please note that due to Covid-19, some of this year’s festivities…