Ajisai (hydrangea) are celebrated in Japan through various festivals all over the country, one of these places being Hakusan Shrine in Bunkyo, Tokyo. While your image of central Tokyo may be tall buildings and neon lights, the shrines throughout the city provide spaces to celebrate nature, and traditional Japanese culture.
Like traditional Bon Odori Festivals, Daibon has a platform decorated with colorful lanterns, where visitors dance in a circle around it to the music. What sets this festival apart from the others is the performers featured in this festival, which are comedians, dance troupes, and dancers dressed in costumes such as carrots and mythical creatures. The DJ also plays both traditional and non-traditional music.
This is the perfect setting for a summer fireworks festival along a large lake in Sagamihara with vintage retro game centers, and Japanese food stalls!
The Koenji Awa-Odori is one of the largest festivals of it's kind. Over 10,000 dancers participate and once the sun starts to go down they start from either JR Koenji Station or Shin-Koenji Station and make their way around the area, even through the small shopping center streets. There are also tons of food stalls, performers, and games.
This is my personal favorite Tanabata Festival! Its held in the Asagaya Pearl Center, which is an outdoor shopping street right outside of Asagaya Station. The festival made its debut in 1954, and was set up by merchants seeking to increase their customers. Large and vibrant streamers are hung inside of the enclosed shopping street, and this festival is famous for its paper-mâché recreations of cartoon characters.
great selection! always something cool to do 😊