Yokohama Events and Festivals

(Yokohama, Kanto, Honshu, Japan)

Yokohama and the surrounding Kanagawa Prefecture offer a bewildering array of festivals and events every month of the year. Without a doubt, there will be something interesting happening during your visit. Attending the city's festivals is a great way to gain insight into Japanese culture and ensure you go home with some fond memories.

Popular festivities in Yokohama include the apricot flower blossom festival of Ume Matsurig at Sankei-en Garden, which takes places in March, and the Yokohama International Fireworks Festival, celebrating summer and held on various nights in August.

Yokohama National Public Holidays

• Ganjitsu - January 1st (New Year's Day)
• Seijin-no-hi - Second Monday in January (Coming of Age Day)
• Kenkoku Kinem-bi - February 11th (National Foundation Day)
• Shumbun-no-hi - March 20th or 21st (Spring Equinox)
• Midori-no-hi - April 29th (Green Day)
• Kempo Kinem-bi - May 3rd (Constitution Day)
• Kokumin-no-Saijitsu - May 4th (Adjoining Holiday)
• Kodomo-no-hi - May 5th (Children's Day)
• Umi-no-hi - Third Monday in July (Marine Day)
• Keiro-no-hi - Third Monday in September (Respect for the Aged Day)
• Shubun-no-hi - September 23rd or 24th (Autumn Equinox)
• Taiiku-no-hi - Second Monday in October (Health Sports Day)
• Bunka-no-hi - November 3rd (Culture Day)
• Kinro Kansha-no-hi - November 23rd (Labour Thanksgiving Day)
• Tenno Tanjobi - December 23rd (Emperor's Birthday)

Yokohama Calendar of Festivals and Events 2014 / 2015

January

• Seijin-no-hi (Coming of Age Festival) - 2nd Monday in January, celebration for people reaching 20 years of age and officially being acknowledged as adults

February

• Chinese New Year - Yokohama's bustling Chinatown gets even crazier during the traditional Chinese New Year as parades, fireworks and lots of boisterous activity fills the neighbourhood for days

March

• Ume Matsuri - this lovely Japanese apricot flower blossom festival takes place in the equally stunning Sankei-en Garden

April

• Noge Street Performers Festival - throngs of locals pack into Nakaku district to enjoy free entertainment from acrobats, magicians and various other street performers
• Kan-ou-no Yube - when the cherry blossoms peak, everyone flocks to Sankei-en Garden to enjoy the spectacle which is supplemented by concerts and other events

May

• Yokohama International Costume Parade - although international in nature, Asian traditions such as the wonderful Chinese dragon dance, amazing floats and other cultural dress are paraded around Yamashita Park

June

• Kanagawa International Arts Festival - art is the focus of this popular festival which takes place all around Yokohama's Prefecture

July

• OBon (Festival of the Dead) - 13th / 16th July, where families visit their home towns, as ancestors are believed to return to earth. Lanterns are lit and placed on rivers to direct the spirits

August

• Yokohama International Fireworks Festival - the night skies over Yokohama Port and Yamashita Park are lit up for several nights with a stunning fireworks display to celebrate summer
• Yokohama Honmoku Jazz Festival - Yokohama is often considered the birthplace of Japanese jazz, and this festival brings some of the best musicians from around the world to play at venues throughout the city
• Yokohama Carnival - in a last hurrah for summer, teams of 30 or more people participate in hamakoi odori contests, which feature parades and dancing with musical instruments

September

• Sankei-en Harvest Moon Night Viewing - traditional Japanese music concerts accompany the beauty of the full moon in Sankei-en Garden

October

• Yokohama Furusato Festival - Minato Mirai is the setting for this lively event featuring concerts, fun fairs and a charity show
• Yokohama Gino Festival - the artisans of Yokohama come together to show off their skills in the various traditional crafts in this fun cultural event
• Yokohama Jazz Promenade - Japan's largest jazz festival features two days of solid performances from the world's top musicians

November

• Bashamichi Festival - this fun and interesting cultural event brings ancient traditional costumes to life, complete with rickshaws and other authentic details from Japan's colourful past

December

• Joya no Kiteki - also known as New Year Horns, ships anchored in Yokohama Port sound their booming horns to ring in the New Year