Autumn is a magical time in Japan, with the whole country turning into a visual spectacle of red, yellow and orange hues. The festivals are equally eye-popping, with the natives celebrating bountiful harvests and long-cherished customs. Here are 3 festivals to put down on your travel checklist.
Meguro Sanma Matsuri in Tokyo
Autumn brings with it huge schools of sanma (Pacific saury) to the Japanese coast. To mark this occasion, as many as 6000 sanma will be given for free to visitors! Pair your sanma with sudachi (citrus fruit) from Tokushima or grated daikon radish from Tochigi and enjoy how your mouth bursts with flavors!
Takayama Festival in Gifu
One of the 3 most beautiful festivals in Japan, this festival features 11 elaborate floats called yatai. Exquisitely decorated with sophisticated wood carvings and metalwork, these floats grab your attention with their kabuki dolls that dance to lilting music. Don’t forget to watch the locals pull these floats around their town and revelling in the festivities at night!
Shuki Taisai Grand Autumn Festival in Tochigi
Enamoured with samurai? Why not go to Nikko and watch the grand spectacle of 800 men dressed up in samurai costumes, walking dignifiedly behind a mikoshi (portable shrine)? Complete with stately guns, spears, arrows, and bows, these men will transport you back in time to 17th century Japan!