10 Best Events in Japan in May 2023
List of Seasonal Events in Japan in May
- +0 28
-
-
May in Japan is the last season of spring and the beginning of early summer, but it is not as humid as in the mid-summer months. It has warm and sunny weather with some rainfall. May in Japan is also the last chance to see the cherry blossom in some areas of Japan. Some late-blooming cherry blossoms bloom from the end of April to early May.
May is also one of the perfect months to visit Japan apart from its pleasant weather, there are also a variety of cultural events taking place. May is one of the busiest months in Japan because of Golden Week which is Japan’s longest holiday. Golden Week is held between the end of April and the beginning of May where there are four national holidays held in one week. This is one reason why Golden Week is called Japan’s longest holiday.
Because of the nice warm weather in May, many outdoor activities are held in different areas throughout the month across Japan. However, Japan’s rainy season also starts between the end of May and July depending on the area. This rainy season is called Tsuyu (梅雨) which literally means “Plum Rain” because it is also the ripening season of Plums.
In this article, I would like to share with you the events held in different places in Japan in May. This is a unique opportunity for visitors to enjoy and have a memorable experience of Japanese culture, from traditional customs to contemporary trends.
1. Golden Week
Golden Week is the longest holiday in Japan containing four national holidays within seven days between the end of April and the beginning of May.
Showa Day – This is the first holiday of the Golden Week which is held every 29th of April to honor the birthday of Emperor Showa.
Constitution Memorial Day – Another national holiday on Golden Week held on the 3rd of May in celebration of the ratification of the 1947 Constitution of Japan.
Greenery Day – This is a national holiday on Golden Week held on the 4th of May to celebrate nature and give thanks by visiting parks, gardens, and other greenery places.
Children’s Day – is one of the national holidays in Japan and the last holiday of the Golden Week held every 5th of May. A special day for children to celebrate their happiness and spent time together with their parents.
For more information about Golden Week, check out the following article!
2. Carp Streamer Festivals
Children’s Day is one of the national holidays in Golden Week. One of the things that represent this day is the Koinobori or Japanese carp streamer with different colors of fish patterns. These cloths hang outside of houses and have specific meanings such as wishing the children to grow up strong and healthy. Many events and festivals are held in different areas of Japan to celebrate this day.
Genre: Koinobori Festa 1,000 (Carp Streamer Festival)
Location: Akutagawa Sakurazutumi Park (Osaka)
Dates: April 24 to May 6, 2023
Website: https://koinoborifesta1000.jimdofree.com/
Genre: Tsuetate Onsen Koinobori
Location: Tsuetate Onsen (Kumamoto)
Dates: April 1 to May 6
Website: https://tsuetate-onsen.com/english
Genre: 333 Children’s Day Koinobori Carp Streamers
Location: Tokyo Tower (Tokyo)
Dates: March 24 to May 7, 2023
Website: https://www.tokyotower.co.jp/en/event/attraction-event/we-belong-2023/
3. Tokyo Grand Sumo Tournament (Introduce Sumo Tournament Tour)
Sumo (相撲) was originated in Japan; it’s a Japanese style of wrestling and considered Japan’s National Sport. Japan is the only country where it is practiced professionally and even at the present time, the Sumo sport has ritual elements included such as the use of salt purification from Shinto.
This May, there will be a Tokyo Grand Sumo Tournament held in Ryogoku Kokugikan National Sumo Arena from May 14 to 28, 2023.
Genre: Sumo Tournament
Location: Ryogoku Kokugikan National Sumo Arena (Tokyo)
Dates: May 14 to 28, 2023
Website: https://www.sumo.or.jp//En/
Information
 Access |
1 minute walk from RYOGOKU STATION (Chūō-Sōbu Line (Local Nakano). |
|---|
4. Late Blooming Cherry Blossoms
There are late-blooming cherry blossoms in Japan especially in cold areas like Hokkaido. here you can usually see the cherry blossoms from the end of April to early May.
Genre: Cherry blossom
Location: Fort Goryokaku (Hokkaido)
Dates: late April to early May
Website: http://www.goryokaku-tower.co.jp/en/
Genre: Hirosaki Castle Park Cherry Blossom Festival 2023
Location: Hirosaki Park (Aomori)
Dates: April 21 to May 5, 2023
Website: https://www.hirosakipark.jp/sakura/
5. Wisteria
Wisteria (Fuji in Japanese) is one of the popular spring flowers in Japan that represent love and longevity in Japanese culture. It has a characteristic of a highly floriferous woody vine and comes in colors ranging from pink to purple to white.
Genre: The Great Wisteria Festival 2023
Location: Ashikaga Flower Park (Tochigi)
Dates: April 15 to May 21, 2023
Website: https://www.ashikaga.co.jp/
Genre: Kameido Tenjin Shrine Wisteria Festival 2023
Location: Kameido Tenjin Shrine (Tokyo)
Dates: April 15 to May 5, 2023
Website: http://kameidotenjin.or.jp/events/
Genre: Kawachi Fujien Wisteria Garden
Location: Kitakyushu City (Fukuoka)
Dates: Late April to Early May
Website: https://kawachi-fujien.com/
For more information about these events, check out the following articles!
6. Nemophila at Hitachi Seaside Park and Osaka Maishima Seaside Park
Nemophila is a small blue flower that blooms during spring. The Nemophila Flower Festival is held in various places, but especially in two popular places in Japan. The Hitachi Seaside Park and the Osaka Maishima Seaside Park from the beginning of April and May every year.
Genre: Flower Event
Location: Hitachi Seaside Park (Ibaraki)
Dates: mid-April to early May
Website: https://hitachikaihin.jp/en/flowers/nemophila/
Genre: Flower Event
Location: Osaka Maishima Seaside Park (Osaka)
Dates: April 7 to May 7, 2023
Website: https://seasidepark.maishima.com.e.agi.hp.transer.com/nemophila/
For more information about this event, check out the following article!
7. Sanja Matsuri
Sanja Matsuri (三社祭) or Sanja Festival is considered one of the three great Shinto and the largest festival in Tokyo. This festival is held at Asakusa Shrine every third weekend of May for three days.
Genre: Festival
Location: Asakusa Shrine (Tokyo)
Dates: May 19 to 21, 2023
Website: https://www.asakusajinja.jp/english/
Information
| Access |
4-minute walk from Asakusa Station. |
|---|
For more information about this event, check out the following article!
8. BEEF FES OSAKA 2023
This festival is for beef lovers. you can experience beef cuisine and various menus such as branded beef. From April 28th, the beef festival will be held in Nagai Park, Osaka. This food festival is all about beef where all the menu is beef dishes such as meat sushi, beef tongue, 100% wagyu beef hamburgers, steak, and many other kinds of food that use beef.
Genre: Beef Festival
Location: Nagai Park Free Plaza (Osaka)
Dates: April 28 to May 7, 2023
Website: http://beef-fes.jp/
Information
| Access |
1 minute walk from Nagai Station. |
|---|
9. Osaka Comic Con 2023
The latest technology with the best pop culture innovating and growing for the latest entertainment. And the Osaka Comic Con is an event where all the cosplay genres are allowed to participate in cosplays of all kinds of comics, novels, games, or tokusatsu works, domestic and foreign.
Genre: Cosplay Event
Location: Intex Osaka (Osaka)
Dates: May 5,6 and 7, 2023
Website: https://tokyocomiccon.jp/en/
Information
| Access |
10 minutes from Cosmosquare Station. New Tram (Local Suminoekoen) to Nakafuto Station.Then 7 minute's walk to Intex Osaka. |
|---|
10. World’s Best Restaurant Noma
The Japanese Kaiseki ryori (懐石料理) or Kaiseki cuisine is a Japanese traditional menu that consists of a set number of courses. And in Kyoto, there is a restaurant offering original Kyoto kaiseki cuisine. The world-renowned restaurant Noma will open in Kyoto for the spring season for a limited time.
Genre: Restaurant
Location: Ace Hotel Kyoto (Kyoto)
Dates: March 15 to May 20, 2023
Information
| Access |
7 minutes from Kyoto Station via (Karasuma Line Local Kokusaikaikan) to Karasuma Oike Station. Then 2 minutes walk to Ace Hotel Kyoto. |
|---|
For more information about this event, check out the following article!
. . .
▽Subscribe to our free news magazine!▽
Thank you for reading, I hope this article helps you and provides information about the places and events in Japan in May. For more related articles visit the articles below.
▽Related Articles▽
▼Editor’s Picks▼
- +0 28
-
-