August in Japan: Festivals, Fireworks and Family

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August in Japan is hot, humid, busy and full of summer traditions!

School holidays are underway and it’s peak festival season. Many people travel this month to see family or attend seasonal events.

Alongside the heat and fireworks, August is also shaped by Obon, a time focused on family and community.

Whether you are travelling or enjoying Japanese culture from home, here are the key events and seasonal highlights of August.

Festivals and events in August in Japan

Obon

Obon (お盆 / おぼん) is one of the most important and widely observed cultural periods in Japan. It is a Buddhist tradition centred on honouring ancestors, whose spirits are believed to return to the family home for a few days in mid-August.

Obon is usually celebrated between August 13-16, although dates can vary by region. It’s not a national holiday, but many people take a day or two off and travel back to their hometowns during this time.

This makes it one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

Families visit graves, clean them, and make offerings of food and flowers. At home, many households have a butsudan (Buddhist altar) where they display photos of their ancestors, burn incense, make offerings and pray.

Lanterns are often used to guide the spirits home at the start of Obon and to send them off again at the end.

A collection of colorful paper lanterns with handwritten messages and characters, illuminated from within and arranged closely together, floating on a dark river at night. — In the city of Matsue, paper lanterns are floated off down the river at the end of Obon to mark the spirits’ return.

Obon is also associated with bon odori: traditional dances held in public spaces like parks or temple grounds. These events are open to all and very social, with people of all ages joining in and dancing together.

The dances can be part of a larger event with food stalls and festival games.

While Obon is a time of remembrance, it is also about family and community.

Mountain Day (Yama no Hi)

Mountain Day is a national holiday held on 11 August each year. The idea is to encourage appreciation of Japan’s mountains.

Apparently it is held in August because the kanji for 8 (八) looks a bit like a mountain! Also, there were no other public holidays in August before this was introduced.

Since it is a newer holiday (only introduced in 2016), there aren’t any long-standing traditions or customs on this date.

The government hopes that people will use this day to take trips to the mountains, and some do – the weather in August is ideal for hiking, after all!

But many people just enjoy the extra day off with no specific activities.

Three hikers with backpacks and trekking poles walk past a rustic wooden cabin on a forest trail surrounded by tall trees on a mountain in Japan.

Awa Odori

Awa Odori is one of Japan’s most famous traditional festivals! It is held in Tokushima, Shikoku on 12-15 August, during Obon.

The festival centres on a famous folk dance, which groups perform in endless parades winding through the streets. Troupes of dancers come from all over Japan and even abroad to take part, and over a million visitors come to watch it live.

A group of women in traditional Japanese festival attire with amigasa straw hats perform a synchronized awa odori dance for an audience on tiered seating. — Awa odori dancers wear traditional straw hats called *amigasa*.

Although it is based in Tokushima, it is well known nationwide and often appears on television and in summer imagery.

Summer fireworks festivals

Fireworks continue from July throughout August! These are often on a very large scale and draw huge crowds.

Many people dress up in yukata (light summer kimono) to watch the fireworks, and there might be food stalls, festival games and more.

People in traditional yukata summer festival clothing stand in line at outdoor food stalls under colorful banners during a lively Japanese summer festival. The sky is partly cloudy and the ground is unpaved.

Things to do in Japan in August

Are you traveling to Japan this August? It can be a busy time due to the school holidays and Obon, but there’s lots to see and do.

Just be prepared for the intense heat, and try to rest during the hottest part of the day!

Attend a bon odori dance – these vary based on locality, but will usually be happening around August 13-16.
Watch a fireworks display.
Visit the coast, rivers or lakes to cool off during the day.
Experience local summer festivals with food stalls and evening events.
Climb Mt. Fuji! It’s peak hiking season. It’s popular to climb overnight to watch the sunrise, but as of 2025 you need to have a hut reservation in advance for this.

What is the weather like in August

August is very hot and humid across most of Japan.

Tokyo and central regions usually range from 28 to 35°C (82 to 95°F), with high humidity making it feel even hotter.

Northern areas can be slightly cooler, while southern regions get extremely hot and the humidity is off the charts.

Lightweight clothing, sun protection, and a hat are essential. UV-blocking clothing and hats are widely available in Japan.

Drink lots of fluids too – look out for Japanese sports drinks such as Pocari Sweat and Aquarius in conbinis and vending machines to replace lost electrolytes!

Japanese activities to try at home in August

Here are some Japanese August traditions you can try, even if you are not in Japan. Lots of these ideas are great for teaching kids about Japanese culture (but also fun for adults!):

Search bon odori or awa odori performance videos on YouTube to see the dances and music associated with Obon.
Try learning a simple bon odori dance using an online tutorial.
Make paper Obon lanterns – simple and fun activity with children.
Design and make uchiwa fans (given out everywhere in summer in Japan and widely used at festivals)
Make a Japanese summer dish such as cold noodles (my favourite!) or chilled tofu (the simplest thing ever, and so refreshing).
Go for a hike on 11 August (Mountain Day) and appreciate nature.
Play suikawari – a game where you have to smash open a watermelon while blindfolded, very popular at the beach or at summer parties!

Useful Japanese vocabulary for August

Obon (お盆 / おぼん) – Buddhist festival honouring ancestors
bon odori (盆踊り / ぼんおどり) – Obon dance
Yama no Hi (山の日 / やまのひ) – Mountain Day
Awa Odori (阿波踊り / あわおどり) – traditional dance festival
hanabi (花火 / はなび) – fireworks
yukata (浴衣 / ゆかた) – summer kimono
matsuri (祭り / まつり) – festival
atsui (暑い / あつい) – hot
natsu yasumi (夏休み / なつやすみ) – summer holidays

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Rebecca Shiraishi-Miles

Rebecca is the founder of Team Japanese. She spent two years teaching English in Ehime, Japan. Now back in the UK, she spends her time blogging, self-studying Japanese and wrangling a very genki toddler.