Visiting Japan in August

The worst of the rains are over by August in Japan, although it stays hot and humid all month except in cooler Hokkaido. Many locals visit family this month so the cities can be quieter although it’s often a busy time to travel around the country. It’s a great time to visit Japan if you want to experience Japan’s traditional festivals, including fireworks galore and dance events across the country.

Festivals: The Obon Festival honouring the dead takes place in August in parts of Japan which use the lunar calendar, with music and dancers in eye-catching costumes. As part of the event, the Awa Odori dance festival attracts over 1.3 million visitors each year, making it the largest in Japan.
August 6 sees the moving ceremony of remembrance at Hiroshima, marking the day the atomic bomb was dropped in the city, with lanterns left to float along the river.
August is also a great month for firework displays. During the first week of the month, there’s a two-day celebration at the Nagaoka Matsuri in Niigata Prefecture with around 20,000 fireworks being set off, while the Edogawa Fireworks in late August uses around 14,000 rockets illustrating a series of different themes.

Best for: Festivals.