Tag Archives: festival

What is Golden Week?

Golden Week was last week. You may have heard of it, you may have not. Golden Week takes place in Japan at the very end of April and lasts through the first week of May. People take vacations, travel the country or abroad, and generally have a great time regardless of the ensuing crowds. But [...]

Strange Japanese Festivals

Festivals, or matsuri are an integral part of Japanese culture. Even matsuri can seem a bit old-fashioned and sometimes religious for ultra-modern, secular Japan, these festivals are a staple of Japanese society that most people take part in. Though there are a few festivals that are celebrated across Japan, there are a few that are [...]

It’s The 63rd Annual Sapporo Snow Festival This Week! Who’re You Rooting For?

Japan is known to for their bizarre and over-the-top festivals. A few that come to mind are the 裸祭り (はだかまつり, Naked Festival), the かなまら祭り (かなまらまつり, Penis Festival), and the 御柱 (おんばしら, festival with the extreme log riding). Not all of their festivals are conceptually odd. It may surprise some of you that not all Japanese activities are [...]

Hadaka Matsuri: Naked Festival!

My Japan-related YouTube buddy Gimmeabreakman posted this video up about a week ago – it does an amazing job summing up naked men, festivals, and Japan, all in one (very nice HD) video, which you can view above.