Yamaguchi prefecture celebrates the hot summer months in style. Have a look below for a taste of some of the upcoming festivals in this western prefecture.
Yamaguchi Tanabata Lantern Festival
August 6-7 at Yamaguchi City
The city streets of Yamaguchi City are covered in paper lanterns, providing a very romantic atmosphere for anyone visiting at this time. The timing of the festival is not based on the current calendar (which states that Tanabata falls on July 7th), but is based on the ancient Japanese calendar. However, the same story of the star-crossed lovers meeting once a year is still at the heart of the festival. The vibrant celebration draws in crowds from across the region.
Yamaguchi Gion Festival
July 20-27 at Yamaguchi City
This festival has a deep history dating back more than 600 years. Rulers of Yamaguchi attempted to model the city after the capital of Kyoto, and once a local branch of the Yasaka Shrine from Kyoto was established in Yamaguchi, the Gion Festival was also adopted. Similar to the one seen in Kyoto, dancing is one of the main attractions of the festival, as well as the mikoshi (portable altars) which are paraded around the city streets.
Nishiki River Water Festival
August in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture
This river water festival is a fireworks spectacular, with around 6,000 fireworks lighting up the night sky of Iwakuni. The aim of the festival is for the local residents to show their gratitude towards the nature that surrounds the Nishiki River. Performances of the Iwakuni Drum and Brass Bands, as well as a treasure hunt, are among the highlights of this festival.
More Events
- Ukai of Kintai Bridge (June – September @ Iwakuni)
- Yanai Goldfish Lantern Festival (August @ Yanai)
- Hagi Summer Festival (August 1-3 @ Hagi)
- Kanmon Kaikyo Fireworks Festival (August @ Shimonoseki)
