Welcome to the Japanese Festival Site Introduction Various festivals can be seen throughout a year in Japan. Knowing about one city does not mean that one knows the whole Japan. From one place to another, one can see local characteristics that are unique to that region and see the spirit of people who live there. Taking a look at the festivals will take you back to the ancient time and may give you some understanding in diverse Japanese culture. Japan is a mixture of culture, religion, the new and the old.
Many festivals derive from ancient religious and folk beliefs.
The Japanese religion, shinto, was a polytheistic faith which held that natural phenomenon such as mountains, streams and fields, contained deities or spirits. Some festivals are rooted in Buddhism. One festival started as early as the 9th century and has been continued till today. One year after another, the tradition is succeeded from one generation to the next. Festivals are part of people's lives and coexsist with busy lifestyles of the Japanese people today.