Latest news with #Obon
Listly
6 days ago
- Listly
10 Incredible Destinations Around the World for August Travel
Rooted in culture and tradition, Kyoto is one of the best cities to visit to get an authentic taste of premodern Japan. Kyoto is full of festivals and events in August, where you can experience traditional festivals such as Obon.
Tokyo Weekender
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Tokyo Weekender
Heat Waves Force Japan's Beloved Summer Festivals To Change Seasons
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. Related Posts Japan Life Kit: What Are Matsuri and How To Enjoy Them Brace Yourself: Tokyo Hits 30 Degrees for the First Time in 2025 5 Japanese Products To Save You From The Summer Heat
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Japan auctions emergency rice reserves as prices soar
The Japanese government began a rare auction on Monday of its emergency rice stockpiles in a bid to help drive down the surging price of the national staple. Rice shortages driven by factors from poor harvests caused by hot weather to panic-buying over a "megaquake" warning last summer have caused prices to nearly double over a year. Exacerbating the problem, some businesses are also thought to be keeping their inventories and waiting for the most opportune time to sell. Japan stores about a million tons of rice for emergencies. The country has previously tapped into these reserves during disasters, but this is the first time since the stockpile was built in 1995 that supply chain problems are behind the move. The agriculture ministry is expected to select successful bidders for 150,000 tons of rice by Wednesday -- with the auctioned grain expected to hit store shelves by the end of March. The ministry says it plans to release another 60,000 tons if necessary. "This is a highly irregular situation," agriculture minister Taku Eto told parliament on Monday. "By sorting out the clogged parts of the distribution network, we hope to relieve the hardship experienced by consumers." Experts say several factors have contributed to the crisis. Among them is a tourism boom and shortages caused by record heatwaves in recent years, as Japan, like other countries, experiences the effects of human-driven climate change. In August last year, shelves in some stores emptied after the government warned of a possible "megaquake", along with one of the fiercest typhoons in decades and the annual Obon holiday. hih/kaf/fox
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Japan auctions emergency rice reserves as prices soar
The Japanese government began a rare auction on Monday of its emergency rice stockpiles in a bid to help drive down the surging price of the national staple. Rice shortages driven by factors from poor harvests caused by hot weather to panic-buying over a "megaquake" warning last summer have caused prices to nearly double over a year. Exacerbating the problem, some businesses are also thought to be keeping their inventories and waiting for the most opportune time to sell. Japan stores about a million tons of rice for emergencies. The country has previously tapped into these reserves during disasters, but this is the first time since the stockpile was built in 1995 that supply chain problems are behind the move. The agriculture ministry is expected to select successful bidders for 150,000 tons of rice by Wednesday -- with the auctioned grain expected to hit store shelves by the end of March. The ministry says it plans to release another 60,000 tons if necessary. "This is a highly irregular situation," agriculture minister Taku Eto told parliament on Monday. "By sorting out the clogged parts of the distribution network, we hope to relieve the hardship experienced by consumers." Experts say several factors have contributed to the crisis. Among them is a tourism boom and shortages caused by record heatwaves in recent years, as Japan, like other countries, experiences the effects of human-driven climate change. In August last year, shelves in some stores emptied after the government warned of a possible "megaquake", along with one of the fiercest typhoons in decades and the annual Obon holiday. hih/kaf/fox
