Best 7 Traditional Festivals "Matsuri" Guide in Kyushu, July 2017
Published: Jun 27, 2017•
Updated: Aug 22, 2018
Traditional festivals held in Kyushu for July, 2017 brought to you by MagicalTrip staff. Guaranteed to experience the local atmosphere and lifestyle to its fullest! Might end up being the highlight of your Kyushu sightseeing trip.Wondering what to do? Besides festivals, we also cover various other must-see events in Kyushu, July 2017! There are also lots of interesting festivals and events held in well known cities of Japan. Check it out!
Must-see! Takezako Kannon Festival – 8 July
[合志市議会議員らいかい恵子](http://raikaikeiko.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/11696466_953723397982588_8655594691378738101_o.jpg)Takezako Kannon Festival is a festival held at the center of Koushi City to pray for good harvest, promotion of animal husbandry, traffic safety. The festival has a history of approximately 800 years and loved by the locals. Wooden carts called Doranja covered by red curtain and loaded with two taiko is pulled from Uemachi, Yokomachi, Shitamachi each by men dressed in festival coats. The highlight of the festival is where the carts crash into each other at the merging point leaving the viewers speechless. After, the carts are carried up the stone stairs and is dedicated to Takezako Kannon Temple. It is said that its originates from Kamakura era’s “Furyu Bon-odori” and is assigned as the city’s cultural asset. Every year, numerous tourists come visit this festival to see the clash of carts in real life.
Schedule
8th July : PM7:00-10:00
Access & Address
10 min by car from Haramizu Station
15 min by car from Sanrigi Station
15 min by car from Hikarinomori Station
[大分市の整体カイロプラクティックたくま](https://blog-001.west.edge.storage-yahoo.jp/res/blog-8b-47/fumi32003/folder/1801751/29/63812829/img_0?1311837219)Hida Gion Festival is a traditional Summer event of Hida with a history of 300 years. Gorgeous yamabako visits around the nearby areas along with music exorcising plagues and wind and flood damage and praying for peace. In addition, at night, the yamabako is elegantly decorated with lanterns continuing its visits finishing off the festival. You can’t miss the gorgeous Summer of Hida.
Schedule
22nd to 23rd July : Time to be determined
Access & Address
1 min by walk from Hita Station
25 min by walk from Bungo-Miyoshi Station
30 min by walk from Mitsuoka Station
[鹿児島の空と海と自然](https://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/isoturisi0727/39241149.html)Sakurajima Fire Bird Festival is an historical festival originating from 1988’s International Volcano Conference. Various fascinating events such as regional performing arts, Sakura Island’s fire bird taiko, character event, song show is held at Sakurajima, one of the few active volcanos. Impressive fireworks launched near the venue and beautiful lazar with music paints the night sky in collaboration awing the visitors. Get the full experience of Japanese festival by eating traditional festival gourmet such as Hashimaki. Transportation to Sakurajima is only available via ferry boat so enjoy the extraordinary excitement even outside of the festival.
Schedule
29th July : PM5:30-PM8:40
Access & Address
35 min by ferry from Kagoshima Station
35 min by ferry from Sakurajimasambashidori Station
35 min by ferry from Suizokukanguchi Station
35 min by ferry from Asahidori Station
35 min by ferry from Izurodori Station
50 min by train from Kagoshima Chuo Station
Held around 1722-17 Sakurajimayokoyamacho, Kagoshima-shi, Kagoshima
[木原みのる](http://kiharaminoru.jp/modules/blog/2008/07/27/1155/)Seishoukou Festival is a festival of Katou Shrine and it tells Kumamoto the arrival of Summer. Duke Katou Kiyomasa, the first lord of Higo clan, built the basis of Kumamoto’s development and is praised in the Katou Shrine. The festival was revived in 1975 with the slogan of “Memory of childhood” for children, “Impress from heart” for young generation, and “Nostalgia” for the adults. Its name and dates were re-established in 1982 and is widely loved by the locals. The highlight is co-starring of impressive mikoshis all around the town. The appearance of mikoshis slowly going around the town is breathtakingly impressive.
Schedule
23rd July : Time to be determined
Access & Address
10 min by walk from Kumamotojo & Shiyakushomae Station
10 min by walk from Torichosuji Station
15 min by walk from Suidocho Station
16 min by walk from Fujisakimiyamae Station
20 min by train from Kumamoto Station
Held around 2-1 Honmaru, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto-shi, Kumamoto
[天草ほんどハイヤ祭り](http://haiya.sakura.ne.jp/photo/2011.html)Amakusa Ko-Haiya is an event hosted by energetic children even within the Amakusa Hondo Haiya Festival. Children form teams based on their nursery school or kindergarten and perform a dance along Haiya song at Hondo District Central Town. The unique folk song called Haiya song, a mix of song sung in Kumamoto from the old time and the rhythm of southern countries, has a history of 300 years and is loved by the locals. The festival involving the whole town from children to adults and like all other Japanese festivals, it also has fireworks highly entertaining the visitors.
Schedule
22nd July : Time to be determined
Access & Address
35 min by AMX amakusa airline from Fukuoka Station
20 min by AMX amakusa airline from Kumamoto Station
2 hour by train from Kumamoto Station
Held around 15-7 Chuoshinmachi, Amakusa-shi, Kumamoto
[https://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/mikey0505jp/63020078.html](https://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/mikey0505jp/63020078.html)Tenjin Festival at Kitsuki City’s castle town area is a festival of Ten Shrine with the history of 300 year. On the first night’s eve, dances and taiko are dedicated and one the second day’s grand festival, after a Shinto ritual, mikoshi, halberd, guns, the imperial regalia of Japan, along with lines of floats walk around the castle town. The highlight of the festival is Onobori at night where floats intensely clash into each other all around the town. Spectators gets greatly excited watching the intense battles happening in front of their nose.
Schedule
24th July : PM4:00-PM9:00
25th July : AM9:00-PM9:00
Access & Address
15 min by taxi from Kitsuki Station
15 min by taxi from Oga Station
50 min by train from Oita Station
Held around 260-1 Minamikitsuki, Kitsuki-shi, Oita
[中津祇園](http://nakatsu-gion.sakura.ne.jp/wp/midokoro/gionguruma/)Nakatsu Gion is a traditional festival loved by the locals representing Nakatsu City, Ooita Prefecture, popular for their delicious Japanese fried chicken, and is considered as one of the three major festivals of Ooita. Nakatsu Gion is held over the course of 3 days in hopes of avoiding illness and living a healthy life. 13 elegantly lacquered floats called “Gion Guruma” and 2 mikoshis visits around Nakatsu’s castle town. Although the highlight of Nakatsu Gion is the elegant Gion Guruma, the appearance of “Yaridori”, men magnificently pulling the Gion Guruma through the main street is equally as spectacular. In addition, people lose themselves in the vortex of excitement as they watch the Gion Guruma complete its curve without slowing down with the call of “Oisa Oisa”.
Schedule
28th to 30th July : Time to be determined
Access & Address
1 min by walk from Nakatsu Station
25 min by walk from Yoshitomi Station
15 min by walk from Higashinakatsu Station
Hello, my name is Shoto! I’ve lived in and traveled many countries. Through the experiences, I saw a lot of different cultures and customs, and that made me realize how unique Japanese culture is.
