Festivals in Nagoya
Encyclopedia
There are many festivals
held in the city of Nagoya in central Japan
. These festivals (matsuri) take place throughout the year. Apart from the main national festivals and holidays, which are celebrated across the entire country, Nagoya has its own unique festivals. Major events include the Atsuta Festival at Atsuta Shrine
in June, the Port Festival at Nagoya Port
in July, the Nagoya Castle
Summer Festival in August, and the Nagoya Festival at the Hisaya Ōdori Park in October. Various smaller festivals exist, and different wards and areas of the city have their own local festivals.
——over the past year, and to help them realize that they have become adult
s. Festivities include held at local halls and the Nagoya City Hall
or the Aichi Prefectural Government Office
, as well as after-parties amongst family and friends.
festival
celebrated every year on March 15 at Tagata Shrine in Komaki
, just north of Nagoya. Hōnen means "prosperous year" in Japanese, implying a rich harvest, while a matsuri is a festival. The Hōnen festival and ceremony celebrate the blessings of a bountiful harvest and all manner of prosperity and fertility. The festival's main features are Shinto
priests playing musical instruments, a parade of ceremonially garbed participants, all-you-can-drink sake (wine), and a 280 kg (620 lb), 2.5 meter (96")-long wooden phallus
.
are used to display a set of representing the Emperor
, Empress
, attendants, and musicians in traditional court dress of the Heian period
. Doll makers from Nagoya continue to be one of the most outstanding ones in Japan.
, Nagoya Agricultural Center
, and Nagoya Castle.
festival, originating from the Chinese Qixi Festival. It celebrates the meeting of Orihime (Vega
) and Hikoboshi
(Altair). According to legend, the Milky Way
is a river of stars that crosses the sky, separating these lovers, and they are allowed to meet only once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month of the lunisolar calendar
. The celebration is held at night.
in Sakae. The highlight of the festival is the procession of the Three Heroes of Nagoya: Oda Nobunaga
, Toyotomi Hideyoshi
, and Tokugawa Ieyasu
. The characters come along with their soldiers clad in armour and carrying weapons and banners. The parade normally has over 700 people, stretching over 1.5 km in length, and is accompanied by a band.
is held every year in October in the fashionable neighbourhood of Ōsu
.
and festival
day for three- and seven-year-old girl
s and three- and five-year-old boy
s, held annually on November 15. As Shichi-Go-San is not a national holiday, in practice it is generally observed on the nearest weekend. The children are brought to their local shrines for blessings.
, is the second-most important day in the Japanese calendar
—it is the final day of the old year and the eve of New Year's Day
, which is the most important day of the year. It is considered an important time for locals, who put great emphasis in shaking off the old evils and ushering in the new. Around 11:00 PM on Ōmisoka, people often gather at home for one last time in the old year to have a bowl of toshikoshi-soba
or toshikoshi-udon
together—a tradition based on people's association of eating the long noodles with “crossing over from one year to the next,” which is the meaning of toshi-koshi.
Japanese festivals
Japanese festivals are traditional festive occasions. Some festivals have their roots in Chinese festivals but have undergone dramatic changes as they mixed with local customs....
held in the city of Nagoya in central Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. These festivals (matsuri) take place throughout the year. Apart from the main national festivals and holidays, which are celebrated across the entire country, Nagoya has its own unique festivals. Major events include the Atsuta Festival at Atsuta Shrine
Atsuta Shrine
is a Shinto shrine traditionally believed to have been established during the reign of Emperor Keikō located in Atsuta-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture in Japan. The shrine is familiarly known as Atsuta-Sama or simply as Miya...
in June, the Port Festival at Nagoya Port
Nagoya Port
The , located in Ise Bay, is the largest and busiest trading port in Japan, accounting for about 10% of the total trade value of Japan. Notably, this port is the largest exporter of cars in Japan and where the Toyota Motor Corporation exports most of its cars...
in July, the Nagoya Castle
Nagoya Castle
is a Japanese castle located in Nagoya, central Japan. During the Edo period, Nagoya Castle was the center of one of the most important castle towns in Japan—Nagoya-juku— and it included the most important stops along the Minoji, which linked the Tōkaidō with the Nakasendō.-History:In...
Summer Festival in August, and the Nagoya Festival at the Hisaya Ōdori Park in October. Various smaller festivals exist, and different wards and areas of the city have their own local festivals.
January
is a Japanese holiday held annually on the second Monday of January. It is held in order to congratulate and encourage all those who have reached the age of majorityAge of majority
The age of majority is the threshold of adulthood as it is conceptualized in law. It is the chronological moment when minors cease to legally be considered children and assume control over their persons, actions, and decisions, thereby terminating the legal control and legal responsibilities of...
——over the past year, and to help them realize that they have become adult
Adult
An adult is a human being or living organism that is of relatively mature age, typically associated with sexual maturity and the attainment of reproductive age....
s. Festivities include held at local halls and the Nagoya City Hall
Nagoya City Hall
is the city hall of the city of Nagoya, Japan.It is constructed in a fusion Japanese and modern style. It survived the bombings of World War II. It is registered as a Tangible Cultural Property of Japan....
or the Aichi Prefectural Government Office
Aichi Prefectural Government Office
The Aichi Prefectural Government Office is the main building of the government of Aichi Prefecture. It is located in the city of Nagoya....
, as well as after-parties amongst family and friends.
February
is a fertilityFertility
Fertility is the natural capability of producing offsprings. As a measure, "fertility rate" is the number of children born per couple, person or population. Fertility differs from fecundity, which is defined as the potential for reproduction...
festival
Festival
A festival or gala is an event, usually and ordinarily staged by a local community, which centers on and celebrates some unique aspect of that community and the Festival....
celebrated every year on March 15 at Tagata Shrine in Komaki
Komaki, Aichi
is a city located in Aichi, Japan. It is commonly associated with the former Nagoya Airport, which is partly located in the city. The other part is in the city of Kasugai. As of January 1, 2008, the city has an estimated population of 149,060 and the density of 2,370 persons per km²...
, just north of Nagoya. Hōnen means "prosperous year" in Japanese, implying a rich harvest, while a matsuri is a festival. The Hōnen festival and ceremony celebrate the blessings of a bountiful harvest and all manner of prosperity and fertility. The festival's main features are Shinto
Shinto
or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...
priests playing musical instruments, a parade of ceremonially garbed participants, all-you-can-drink sake (wine), and a 280 kg (620 lb), 2.5 meter (96")-long wooden phallus
Phallus
A phallus is an erect penis, a penis-shaped object such as a dildo, or a mimetic image of an erect penis. Any object that symbolically resembles a penis may also be referred to as a phallus; however, such objects are more often referred to as being phallic...
.
March
, or Girls' Day, is held on March 3. Platforms covered with red carpetRed carpet
A red carpet is traditionally used to mark the route taken by heads of state on ceremonial and formal occasions, and has in recent decades been extended to use by VIPs and celebrities at formal events.- History :...
are used to display a set of representing the Emperor
Emperor of Japan
The Emperor of Japan is, according to the 1947 Constitution of Japan, "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people." He is a ceremonial figurehead under a form of constitutional monarchy and is head of the Japanese Imperial Family with functions as head of state. He is also the highest...
, Empress
Japanese empresses
In Japan, empress may refer to either or .- Empresses regnant :There were eight female imperial reigns in Japan's early history between 593 and 770, and two more in the early modern period...
, attendants, and musicians in traditional court dress of the Heian period
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...
. Doll makers from Nagoya continue to be one of the most outstanding ones in Japan.
April
is the traditional custom of enjoying the beauty of flowers, "flower" in this case almost always meaning cherry blossoms or ume blossoms. Sakura season in Nagoya tends to be from March to April. Hanami mostly consists of having an outdoor party beneath the sakura during daytime or at night in places such as Meijō ParkMeijō Park
is a public park surrounding Nagoya Castle in Kita-ku, Nagoya, Japan-Facilities:The name Meijō derives itself from the abbreviated kanji form of...
, Nagoya Agricultural Center
Nagoya Agricultural Center
The Nagoya Agricultural Center is located in Tenpaku Ward in the city of Nagoya, central Japan.The centre is free of charge, featuring a cafe and a shops that sells organic food such as vegetables and health foods. It also sells plants...
, and Nagoya Castle.
May
- The Nagoya WalkathonNagoya WalkathonThe Nagoya Walkathon and International Charity Festival is a foreign organized charity event started in 1991 in Nagoya, Japan that is held annually on a Sunday in May....
and International Charity Festival is a foreign-organized charityCharity (practice)The practice of charity means the voluntary giving of help to those in need who are not related to the giver.- Etymology :The word "charity" entered the English language through the Old French word "charité" which was derived from the Latin "caritas".Originally in Latin the word caritas meant...
event that started in 1991 and is held every May. The event is sponsored by the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ) and Nagoya International School (NIS), and its main purpose is to join the international community with Japanese friends and companies in raising money for local orphanages and charities.
June
- The Atsuta Festival is held on June 5 at the Atsuta ShrineAtsuta Shrineis a Shinto shrine traditionally believed to have been established during the reign of Emperor Keikō located in Atsuta-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture in Japan. The shrine is familiarly known as Atsuta-Sama or simply as Miya...
. This is the biggest festival of the 70 festivals held at the shrine, and one of the calendar's most auspicious events. In the shrine's main sanctuary, religious rites are performed by the high priests while, within the greater compound, portable shrines (mikoshiMikoshiA is a divine palanquin . Shinto followers believe that it serves as the vehicle to transport a deity in Japan while moving between main shrine and temporary shrine during a festival or when moving to a new shrine...
) are carried, a martial arts contest is conducted, and performances by street entertainers are held. In the evening, vendors with paper lanternPaper lanternPaper lanterns come in various shapes and sizes, as well as various methods of construction. In their simplest form, they are simply a paper bag with a candle placed inside, although more complicated lanterns consist of a collapsible bamboo or metal frame of hoops covered with tough paper.-In Asian...
s on their wagons line the streets, and fireworks are set off in the sky.
July
is the starStar
A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth...
festival, originating from the Chinese Qixi Festival. It celebrates the meeting of Orihime (Vega
Vega
Vega is the brightest star in the constellation Lyra, the fifth brightest star in the night sky and the second brightest star in the northern celestial hemisphere, after Arcturus...
) and Hikoboshi
Hikoboshi
is the Japanese name for the star Altair, also known as or in Japanese.It also refers to:* the cowherd celebrated in the Chinese star festival, Qi Xi.* the cowherd celebrated in the Japanese star festival, Tanabata influenced by Qi Xi...
(Altair). According to legend, the Milky Way
Milky Way
The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains the Solar System. This name derives from its appearance as a dim un-resolved "milky" glowing band arching across the night sky...
is a river of stars that crosses the sky, separating these lovers, and they are allowed to meet only once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month of the lunisolar calendar
Lunisolar calendar
A lunisolar calendar is a calendar in many cultures whose date indicates both the moon phase and the time of the solar year. If the solar year is defined as a tropical year then a lunisolar calendar will give an indication of the season; if it is taken as a sidereal year then the calendar will...
. The celebration is held at night.
- The Minato (Port) Festival is held at Nagoya PortNagoya PortThe , located in Ise Bay, is the largest and busiest trading port in Japan, accounting for about 10% of the total trade value of Japan. Notably, this port is the largest exporter of cars in Japan and where the Toyota Motor Corporation exports most of its cars...
around , known as 'OceanOceanAn ocean is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the hydrosphere. Approximately 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by ocean, a continuous body of water that is customarily divided into several principal oceans and smaller seas.More than half of this area is over 3,000...
Day' or 'SeaSeaA sea generally refers to a large body of salt water, but the term is used in other contexts as well. Most commonly, it means a large expanse of saline water connected with an ocean, and is commonly used as a synonym for ocean...
Day,' celebrated on the third Monday each July. Many people take advantage of the holiday and summer weather to travel to a beach. The highlight of this annual festival is the raftsmen's water logging contest. Since the Edo period, the port has been the distribution centre for logLogLog, LOG, or LoG may refer to:*Wooden log, also known as timber, wood from trees used for construction, fuel, or wood pulp for paper production...
s that were cut in the mountains and floated by raftsmen down the Hori River to port. Other attractions include a massive street dance with over 1,500 performers, a marching band, and large amounts of fireworks.
- The Nagoya Basho Sumo Tournament is the annual mid-July sumoSumois a competitive full-contact sport where a wrestler attempts to force another wrestler out of a circular ring or to touch the ground with anything other than the soles of the feet. The sport originated in Japan, the only country where it is practiced professionally...
wrestling tournament, held on the third Sunday at the Aichi Prefectural GymnasiumAichi Prefectural GymnasiumThe is an all purpose gymnasium in Aichi, Japan, built in 1964. Located on the site of the secondary enclosure of Nagoya Castle, it is host to numerous concerts and events...
in the Ninomaru enceinte of Nagoya Castle.
August
- The Nagoya Castle Summer Festival is held early in August at Nagoya Castle. The festival starts after sunset, when the temperatures become cooler and more bearable for visitors. Vendors line the streets to watch the Bon FestivalBon Festivalor just is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the spirits of one's ancestors. This Buddhist-Confucian custom has evolved into a family reunion holiday during which people return to ancestral family places and visit and clean their ancestors' graves, and when the spirits of ancestors are supposed...
dance, listen to live music, watch NohNoh, or - derived from the Sino-Japanese word for "skill" or "talent" - is a major form of classical Japanese musical drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Many characters are masked, with men playing male and female roles. Traditionally, a Noh "performance day" lasts all day and...
plays, and watch bonfireBonfireA bonfire is a controlled outdoor fire used for informal disposal of burnable waste material or as part of a celebration. Celebratory bonfires are typically designed to burn quickly and may be very large...
s being lit.
September
- Chrysanthemum Day on September 9 is a celebration of the chrysanthemumChrysanthemumChrysanthemums, often called mums or chrysanths, are of the genus constituting approximately 30 species of perennial flowering plants in the family Asteraceae which is native to Asia and northeastern Europe.-Etymology:...
, Japan's national flower. The tradition started in 910 CE, when the imperial court held its first chrysanthemum show. Various flower shows are held and popular historical scenes are depicted by clay dolls dressed in robes made from chrysanthemum petals.
October
is held in mid-October in the central Hisaya Ōdori ParkHisaya Ōdori Park
The Hisaya Ōdori Park is located in Sakae, Nagoya in central Japan.- History :The park was laid out after the devastation of World War II by the mayor of Nagoya, in order to create green space in the middle of the city...
in Sakae. The highlight of the festival is the procession of the Three Heroes of Nagoya: Oda Nobunaga
Oda Nobunaga
was the initiator of the unification of Japan under the shogunate in the late 16th century, which ruled Japan until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was also a major daimyo during the Sengoku period of Japanese history. His opus was continued, completed and finalized by his successors Toyotomi...
, Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
was a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...
, and Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu
was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...
. The characters come along with their soldiers clad in armour and carrying weapons and banners. The parade normally has over 700 people, stretching over 1.5 km in length, and is accompanied by a band.
is held every year in October in the fashionable neighbourhood of Ōsu
Ōsu
Ōsu is a popular area located in the Naka ward of Nagoya, central Japan.Ōsu is a historic area which has many small shops offering everything from Japanese traditional food to handicrafts. A large department store is OSU301...
.
November
is a traditional rite of passageRite of passage
A rite of passage is a ritual event that marks a person's progress from one status to another. It is a universal phenomenon which can show anthropologists what social hierarchies, values and beliefs are important in specific cultures....
and festival
Festival
A festival or gala is an event, usually and ordinarily staged by a local community, which centers on and celebrates some unique aspect of that community and the Festival....
day for three- and seven-year-old girl
Girl
A girl is any female human from birth through childhood and adolescence to attainment of adulthood. The term may also be used to mean a young woman.-Etymology:...
s and three- and five-year-old boy
Boy
A boy is a young male human , as contrasted to its female counterpart, girl, or an adult male, a man.The term "boy" is primarily used to indicate biological sex distinctions, cultural gender role distinctions or both...
s, held annually on November 15. As Shichi-Go-San is not a national holiday, in practice it is generally observed on the nearest weekend. The children are brought to their local shrines for blessings.
December
, or New Year's EveNew Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
, is the second-most important day in the Japanese calendar
Japanese calendar
On January 1, 1873, Japan adopted the Gregorian calendar. Before 1873, the Chinese style lunisolar calendar had been in use since 7th century. Japanese eras are still in use.-System:...
—it is the final day of the old year and the eve of New Year's Day
Japanese New Year
The is one of the most important annual festivals, with its own unique customs, and has been celebrated for centuries. Due to the importance of the holiday and the preparations required, the preceding days are quite busy, particularly the day before, known as Ōmisoka.The Japanese New Year has been...
, which is the most important day of the year. It is considered an important time for locals, who put great emphasis in shaking off the old evils and ushering in the new. Around 11:00 PM on Ōmisoka, people often gather at home for one last time in the old year to have a bowl of toshikoshi-soba
Soba
is the Japanese name for buckwheat. It is synonymous with a type of thin noodle made from buckwheat flour, and in Japan can refer to any thin noodle . Soba noodles are served either chilled with a dipping sauce, or in hot broth as a noodle soup...
or toshikoshi-udon
Udon
is a type of thick wheat-flour noodle of Japanese cuisine.Udon is usually served hot as noodle soup in its simplest form as kake udon, in a mildly flavoured broth called kakejiru which is made of dashi, soy sauce , and mirin. It is usually topped with thinly chopped scallions...
together—a tradition based on people's association of eating the long noodles with “crossing over from one year to the next,” which is the meaning of toshi-koshi.