Alexandru Arba
Research expert covering Japan
Cultural festivals in Japan - statistics & facts
Japan has an extraordinarily rich cultural heritage, of which cultural festivals are a central element. About 1,200 major cultural festivals are celebrated throughout the year all over Japan. When considering small-sized festivals hosted locally, the number of festivals held annually in Japan amounts to an estimated 300,000. This staggering number is proof of the pivotal importance of cultural festivals for Japan's cultural DNA and underscores how closely such festivities are integrated into everyday life. Many of them are festivals with local ties that are unique to the location, such as the Sapporo Snow Festival in Hokkaido Prefecture, while others are celebrated in multiple places, such as the Tanabata Festival, which is a colorful festival with a mythical theme celebrated in July.
Cultural festivals have existed in Japanese culture for a very long time. Some of the oldest festivals that are still celebrated today are mentioned as “old” in the earliest surviving historical writings. Many cultural festivals started as religious rites to pay respect to the Gods for good harvests or to avoid calamities and epidemics. They have evolved with time to fit the needs of the local people who carry on the tradition. The communal aspect is an important feature of many cultural festivals, as locals cherish and manifest their history and cultural heritage. The events are highly appreciated by people in Japan, many of whom want cultural festivals to continue to be part of Japan's culture.
