Festival and Event Information | （日本） DISCOVER OKAYAMA OF JAPAN 岡山

【Bizen Area】 Bizen City

Grand Festival of Takura-ushigami-sha Shrine

Bizen ceramic cows, which people bring into the shrine for making wishes, are piled up high on the shrine ground.

【Bizen Area】 Okayama City

Saidaiji Eyo (Naked Men’s Festival)

This festival, having a tradition of approximately 500 years, is one of the three rarest festivals in Japan. Thousands of men wearing nothing but loincloths struggle for two holy sticks. Significant intangible folk cultural asset designated by Okayama Prefecture.

【Mimasaka Area】 Maniwa city

Hina-matsuri (Girl’s Festival)

Various types of elaborate Hina dolls will be displayed at the eaves of over 160 town houses and merchants’ houses in the cityscape preservation district.

【Mimasaka Area】 Tsuyama city

Tsuyama Cherry Blossom Festival

This festival is the spring time tradition at Tsuyama Castle (Kakuzan Park) which is famous as one of the best cherry blossom watching spots. Several thousand cherry trees burst into full bloom, and a lot of people come to enjoy watching the flowers.

【Bizen Area】 Okayama City

Okayama Korakuen Garden Tea Picking Festival

“Tea picking girls” perform “new teal leaf picking” and a “tea picking dance.”

【Mimasaka Area】 Maniwa city

Yubara Onsen Open-air Hot Spring Day

This is the day designated for expressing thanks for visitors to Yubara Onsen (hot spring) which is ranked as the “Western Yokozuna (meaning “champion” in sumo wrestling)” on the nation-wide open-air hot springs ranking list.

【Bizen Area】 Okayama City

Genso Teien (garden) in Okayama Korakuen Garden

You will enjoy nostalgic summer nights as various types of illuminations and candlelight in the Okayama Korakuen Garden surround you.

【Bicchu Area】 Kurashiki city

Kurashiki Tenryo Natsu Matsuri (summer festival)

This largest festival held in Kurashiki City is the summer time tradition in Kurashiki.

【Bizen Area】 Okayama City

Okayama Momotaro Matsuri (festival)

During this festival, the “Firework Show” is held at the area along the Asahigawa River, and people put unique makeup like devils and dress-up in eccentric costumes, and compete with each other by dancing in a parade called “Uraja-odori,” a dance based on the story of the myth of Ura passed down through the years in the Kibiji District.

【Bicchu Area】 Kasaoka city

Shiraishi Odori (dance)

This is a traditional Bon odori dance. People dance 13 different styles of dance to only one piece of music.

【Bicchu Area】 Takahashi City

Bicchu Takahashi Matsuyama Odori (dance)

This is one of three major dances in Okayama Prefecture. As this is a representative ring dance, people dance in a circle having a Yagura tower in the center. During these three days, several tens of thousands of people join and dance, enjoying an exciting time.

【Bizen Area】 Kibichuo

Kamo Taisai (grand festival)

This is one of three major dances in Okayama Prefecture. This is a glorious festival that the miniature shrines come to Soja-goo Shrine in Soja City from eight shrines in adjacent areas.

【Bicchu Area】 Kurashiki city

Achi-jinja Shrine Akimatsuri (autumn festival)

This is a very unique festival in which two persons dressed like “Suinkyo (old man and woman)” tap the heads of children with red fans, celebrating abundant harvests.

【Bicchu Area】 Takahashi City

Bicchu Kagura (dance)

This is one of folklore’s performing arts. It represents Okayama and is known as the Intangible Folk Cultural Asset. This is a dynamic dance, based on myth and performed by dancers wearing unique masks and costumes

【Bicchu Area】 Yakagechou

Shukuba Matsuri Festival (lodging town festival), Feudal lord's procession

The feudal lord's procession, which took place when these areas prospered as lodging towns, used when lords travelled on bi-annual missions.

【Bizen Area】 Okayama City

Ohitaki Festival at Saijo-inari Temple

Old charms and homa wood will be burnt to pray for good health. Also it is said that one receives good luck if they put their body over fire.