June is not typically the best time to travel to Japan as it is the start of the rainy season which lingers for around six weeks. That’s not to say it rains every day, but weather conditions are unpredictable and the heat and humidity levels soar, making it hard to spend much time outside. That being said, there are some highlights of the rainy season. There are plenty of summer festivals, and it’s a good time to visit hot springs, see hydrangeas, and watch fireflies. Hokkaido is also a good place to travel to during this time, as temperatures are cooler and there is no humidity.
Planning a trip to Japan this year? Check out my 5 Day Tokyo Itinerary article for ideas on what to see and do in Japan’s capital!
Japan in June – 14 Things to See and Do in 2024!
1. Fussa Firefly Festival, Tokyo
In Japan, the arrival of fireflies marks the beginning of summer and many towns and cities celebrate the time of year with festivals and events. The Fussa Firefly Festival occurs in the west of Tokyo near the Tamagawa River. The event is normally held in mid-June and sees around 500 locally raised fireflies released into the sky. Other festivities include live music performances and food stalls scattered along the main festival street. After a five-year hiatus, the festival is making a return to the area and will take place along Seseragi Street close to Kumagawa JR railway station.
- WHERE & WHEN: Seseragi Street, between Hotaru Park and Fussa City Fussa Junior High School. Sunday, June 9th.
- MORE INFORMATION: Fussakanko.jp
2. Botanical Garden Fureai, Tokyo
Downtown Shibuya is probably one of the last places that you would expect to see fireflies with all the light pollution but around 12 minutes’ walk from Shibuya Station you’ll find one of the smallest botanical gardens in the country that attracts around 10,000 visitors over five days during its annual firefly evening event. The entrance fee for the botanical garden is usually 100 yen, however, entry has previously been free during the firefly viewing. Large crowds gather quickly so arrive early for a good viewing spot.
- WHERE & WHEN: Shibuya Fureai Botanical Center, 2 Chome-25-37 Higashi, Shibuya. June 19 to 23, between 7-9 PM.
3. Nigami Firefly Festival, Niigata
Beginning in mid-June and lasting for around a month, the Nigami Firefly Festival sees thousands of fireflies glowing along a 7km stretch of Prefectural Road #229 which runs alongside the Hokura River. Two common types of fireflies, Genji, and Heike, can be spotted over the river after the sun sets.
The Firefly Festival is held in the nearby town of Nigami from June 10, and the route out of town can become very busy in the evenings during this time. Due to the remote location, your best option for accessing the viewing area is by car, where a special viewing platform is set up for drivers. This also helps to reduce light pollution from car headlights for other viewers.
- WHERE & WHEN: Oshima Ward, Nigami, Joetsu City, Niigata prefecture. The Firefly viewing station parking lot can be found here. The best time for viewing is between 7:30 and 8:30 PM
4. Sawara Iris Festival, Chiba
Throughout June, more than a million Japanese Irises can be seen at the Sawara Iris Festival in Suigo Sawara Ayame Park, the largest Iris garden in Asia, which is around a two-hour bus ride from Tokyo. For around four weeks, the six-hectare park is covered with a blue, purple, yellow, white, and pink blanket. It is an incredible sight.
Visitors can take a shuttle bus direct to the park from JR Sawara Station, or it can be accessed by car off the Higashi-Kanto Expressway. This festival is a must-see if you are in Japan in June and it can easily be made as a day trip from Tokyo. Along with the flower-viewing activities, you can take traditional boat rides around the old town and even watch visitors get married among the Irises during a limited 3-day period in June. Entry is 700 yen for adults and 350 yen for children.
- WHERE & WHEN: Suigo Sawara Ayame Park, 1837-2 Ogishima, Katori, Chiba. 8:00 AM-6:30 PM, the whole month of June.
5. Bunkyo Hydrangea Festival, Tokyo
Every year, Bunkyo Ward in Tokyo holds five major flower festivals that celebrate the different flowers of the four seasons in Japan. June is hydrangea season, and a good place to admire these flowers is at the Bunkyo Hydrangea Festival in Hakusan-jinja Shrine. Thousands of colorful blue, purple, and pink flowers bloom across the grounds of the shrine and the neighboring Hakusan Park.
During the festivities, small stone mounds in the area known as Fujizuka are opened to the public who can ascend to the peak for unparalleled views of the flower displays. At the weekend, events are also held as part of the celebrations, these include live music, dancing, and local food and drinks stalls. Visitors can easily reach the shrine by public transport and on foot as it is a short two-minute walk from Exit A3 of Hakusan Station.
- WHERE & WHEN: Hakusan Shrine, 5 Chome-31-26 Hakusan, Bunkyo City. June 8th to 16th.
- MORE INFORMATION: B-kanko.jp (Japanese)
6. Hydrangeas at Meigetsuin Temple, Kamakura
In June, thousands of Meigetsuin blue hydrangeas fill the grounds of the 900-year-old Buddhist temple for which it is named. The temple was constructed in the 12th century as a memorial from a son to his father who was killed during the Heiji Civil War. Over the years, it became part of a larger nearby temple complex that was eventually closed down, temple by temple, until Meigetsuin temple became the only building remaining.
Visitors can explore the lush grounds and enjoy the display of irises and a high volume of blue hydrangeas. If you enter the main temple hall you will find a large round window that frames the inner garden perfectly. The best time of year for an incredible view comes in late June and again in late autumn. The inner garden is well maintained and worth a trip this time of year if only to enjoy the natural beauty.
- WHERE & WHEN: Meigetsuin Temple, 189 Yamanouchi, Kamakura, Kanagawa 247-0062. Throughout June, 8:30 AM to 5 PM.
- MORE INFORMATION: Trip-kamakura.com
7. Mount Takao Beer Garden
You simply cannot visit Japan without trying tabehodai or nomihodai, the all-you-can-eat or all-you-can-drink buffet options that can be found in many izakayas and bars around the country. And what better place to get the most out of the experience than the highest beer garden in Tokyo at the beginning of summer?
A 5-minute walk from Takaosanguchi Station to Kiyotaki Station you will find a cable car that takes you to the summit of the mountain 500 meters up. There, you will find Mt. Takao Beer Mount, where you can enjoy an all-you-can-eat buffet and drinks for two hours while taking in the amazing views of the capital below. Entry costs 4,300 yen for adults and is open every day from 13:00 to 21:00.
- WHERE & WHEN: Mt. Takao Beer Mount 2205 Takaomachi, Hachioji, Tokyo. From June 15 to October 15.
- MORE INFORMATION: Takaosan-beermount.com
8. Otaue Rice Planting Festival, Osaka
There are many different types of rice planting events and festivals at varying times of year all over Japan. They are often Shinto rituals that include an offering to the enshrined Kami to secure a bountiful harvest for the season ahead. The Otaue Rice Planting Festival is one of the largest in the country and is most famous for its grand performances.
The festival features Shinto priests overseeing the planting of rice seedlings in a dedication ceremony. Afterward, blessed water is poured all around the edges of the rice fields in a ritual that purifies the priests and the land. Following the planting and purification ceremony, visitors will see live performances of dancing and sword fighting in the festival atmosphere.
- WHERE & WHEN: Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine, 2 Chome-9-89 Sumiyoshi, Sumiyoshi Ward, Osaka. June 14th, 1 PM to 5 PM.
- MORE INFORMATION: Sumijomitaisha.net
9. Sanno Festival, Tokyo
Sanno Matsuri is one of the three largest festivals in Tokyo and takes place every even-numbered year at the beginning of summer. A ten-day event beginning in early June, the Sanno Festival is a Shinto ceremony held at the Hie Shrine in Akasaka.
The highlight of the event is a 300-meter-long procession that sees giant floats of gods and portable shrines carried slowly through the busy streets of Tokyo by locals. Vendors of food and drinks also line the streets for you to enjoy along the parade route. Various other events are held over the festival’s eleven days, including a Sanno drum performance, live Shinto music, and a blessing to the Imperial family.
- WHERE & WHEN: Hie Shrine, 2 Chome-10-5 Nagatachō, Chiyoda City, Tokyo. June 7 to 17, 2024.
- MORE INFORMATION: Hiejinja.net
10. Shirone Giant Kite Battle
Straddling the banks of the Nakanokuchi River, teams of locals battle against one another with massive kites, around 15×25 feet in size, colliding them against one another in the fierce wind in an attempt to tangle the ropes of their kites. Once tangled, a tog-o-war ensues until one team emerges as the victor, bringing the opposing kite crashing into the water.
This unique festival dates back more than 300 years to the Edo period when one side set up a banner to celebrate the completion of a construction project. The banner broke free and damaged crops as it landed on the other side, and in their anger, the locals reciprocated, and a tradition emerged. Free and paid seating is available, which costs around 600 yen.
- WHERE & WHEN: Nakanokuchigawa River Bank, Shirone and Nishi-Shirone, Minami, Niigata City. June 5-6 from 1 PM.
- MORE INFORMATION: Shironekankou.jp
11. Aizen Festival, Osaka
In Osaka, summer begins in late June with the commencement of Aizen Festival at Aizendo Temple, one of the three largest festivals in the city. The festival originated more than 1,000 years ago when local Buddhist priests organized the festival to appease the gods and bring good health. Today, many of the old customs remain including the main Hoekago Parade to open the festivities. Twelve young women dressed in Yukatas are paraded along Tanimachisuji Street towards Aizendo Temple to cheers from local onlookers. The procession stops in front of the main hall where the women are presented with flowers more cheering. It is hoped that this will bring prosperity and good luck in romance.
During the festivities, many visitors also come to the temple to pray for good health and well-being for the year ahead, a ritual ordinarily reserved for Shinto shrines but a common sight at this Buddhist temple during the Aizen Festival.
- WHERE & WHEN: Aizendo Temple, 5-36 Yuhigaokacho, Tennoji Ward, Osaka. June 30th to July 2nd, 10 AM to 9 PM.
- MORE INFORMATION: Osaka.com
12. Yosakoi Soran Festival
From June 7th to 11th 2024, Sapporo will host the 33rd annual Yosakoi Soran Festival in Odori Park. Inspired by the Yosakoi festival in Kochi, tens of thousands of dancers compete in teams dressed in colorful costumes wielding naruko (wooden hand clappers) in their hands, performing a choreographed dance to their unique piece of music. There are around 15 sites where performances are held around the city, however, the main event is held at Odori Park, which is an 8-minute walk from Exit 5 of the Odori subway station.
Spectators are encouraged to take part in the festivities with Yosakoi dance workshops held at several sites, and local vendors selling naruko to cheer the dancers on.
- WHERE & WHEN: Odori Park, Chuo Ward Sapporo. June 7th to 11th, 6 PM to 9:30 PM.
- MORE INFORMATION: Yosakoi-soran.jp (English)
13. Aoba Matsuri, Kyoto
The Aoba Matsuri Festival at the Chishaku-in Temple in Kyoto takes place every year on June 15th to celebrate the birthday of Kobo Daishi, also known as Kukai, a well-known Japanese Buddhist monk who founded the Shingon school of Buddhism.
Along with a celebratory Buddhist memorial service, various festivities occur during the event, including a parade from Chishakuin Main Head Temple, and a large fire ritual outside the Kondo Main Hall. Visitors are also free to walk the grounds of the temple complex and enjoy the zen garden, the temple artwork, and the relaxing atmosphere. There is also a flea market which takes place on the edge of the temple grounds, and a place where pilgrims who are undertaking the 88 Temple Pilgrimage can receive a stamp for their visit.
- WHERE & WHEN: Chishakuin Temple, 964 Higashikawarachō Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, June 15th, 10 AM.
- MORE INFORMATION: Chisan.or.jp (English)
14. Ajisai Matsuri & Kinme Festival
Throughout June, Shimoda Park, the breathtaking coastal area located in Shizuoka prefecture is home to more than three million brightly-colored hydrangea blossoms in full bloom.
The main hydrangea promenade follows a 30 to 60-minute walk along the dry moat of the former Ushima Castle and can be reached via a 15-minute walk from the park entrance, a 20-minute walk from Izukyu Shimoda station. The promenade also passes through the park’s main square which features festival stands offering local dishes and drinks.
The region is also known for its Kinme fishing, which reaches its peak season in June. In celebration, the city hosts its annual Kinme Festival where many local restaurants serve a variety of Kinme dishes all month.
- WHERE & WHEN: Shimoda Park, 22 Sanchome, Shimoda, Shizuoka. The whole of June.
- MORE INFORMATION: Shimoda-city.com
Conclusion
There are no national holidays in Japan during June, which is one of the reasons why it is a much easier time to travel. Public transport is as quiet as it is likely to get all year, and attractions and hotels are easier to book as there are generally fewer tourists.
The weather can be less reliable than in the spring and summer months, as June is Japan’s rainy season, which stretches into early July. While it does not rain every day, the probability of rain on any given day in June can be quite high, although it varies depending on where you are, for example, the probability of rainfall in Tokyo during June is around 50%.
If the spike in daytime temperatures and frequent rainy days aren’t enough to put you off, June is a perfect time to visit Japan. The humidity and average temperatures aren’t as high as they become in July and August, and festivals celebrating the blooming of Irises, hydrangeas, and Lotuses are everywhere.
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