Heat Waves Force Japan's Beloved Summer Festivals To Change Seasons

Tokyo Weekender

27-05-2025

A Japanese summer is synonymous with the image of yukata-clad couples strolling riverside paths and children clutching
kakigori
shaved ice, beneath a sky of glittering fireworks. But across the country, the rhythmic chants of festival-goers are in danger of fading away, as extreme heat may force several
matsuri
— beloved traditional festivals — to abandon their seasonal posts.
With temperatures in recent years reaching levels that pose serious risks to performers, spectators and staff, several firework displays and Obon events have been rescheduled for spring or autumn. The century-old Adachi Fireworks festival in Tokyo, for instance, initially scheduled for July, has changed its date to May 31 this year, causing various logistical issues.
List of Contents:
The Great Festival Migration
A Matter of Survival
What's Really at Stake
Related Posts
The Great Festival Migration
Festival date alterations are taking place around the country with startling speed. The shift from midsummer to spring for the Adachi Fireworks Festival shocked longtime attendees. But for organizers, it seemed like a necessary change after last year's near-catastrophe.
Temperatures hit 30 degrees Celsius by 7 a.m. and soared past 35°C by 10 a.m. Security personnel were hospitalized with heat stroke. For staff working throughout the day with no shade, the event was more like an endurance test than a celebration. Then, after all that, sudden thunderstorms, increasingly common in Japan's destabilized climate, forced a last-minute cancellation after months of preparation.
In Kitakyushu, the Wasshoi Hyakuman Summer Festival has shifted from August to September. The Saga Castle Town Sakae no Kuni Festival, meanwhile, will be held on May 31 and June 1 rather than its usual August date.
soma nomaoi festival
A Matter of Survival
The dates have been changed not just because of comfort and convenience, but due to safety issues. Fukushima Prefecture's Soma Nomaoi Festival, in which samurai warriors thunder across fields on horseback, made the decision to move from July to May after horses began dying of heat-related illnesses in 2023.
The Kujirabune (whale boat) festival in Mie Prefecture's Yokkaichi city is another ancient tradition that will shift its dates. Due to the extreme summer heat in recent years, it has been decided to reposition the festival as part of a September shrine celebration. 'It will be too late once an emergency occurs,'
said
organizers. The solution required delicate negotiations with cultural preservation authorities and community leaders.
What's Really at Stake
Some traditional festivals, however, remain immovable. Changing dates would destroy their meaning entirely. Tanabata festivals, for example, must occur on July 7 — the date when star-crossed lovers Orihime and Hikoboshi, separated by the Milky Way, are allowed to meet once a year. But Tanabata celebrations are losing attendees due to the heat, with a notable decline in nursery school and elderly visitors during peak temperatures.
The great festival migration, though, represents much more than just logistical adjustments. It is redefining the cultural meaning of summer for the Japanese public, and eroding seasonal rhythms that have shaped its society for centuries. While Japan's beloved matsuri will likely persist through spirited local support and creative adaptations, its recent crisis is a palpable side effect of a new climatic reality.
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