Annual Events
New Year, Setsubun, hanami, Obon and the festivals that mark the Japanese year.
102 entriesTap a title to open the full entry: three lengths of English explanation, the questions people actually ask, ready-made phrases and audio.
Essential（30）
- Annual EventsEssential osechiおせち料理the New Year food packed in stacked boxes
- Annual EventsEssential oshogatsuお正月the Japanese New Year
- Annual EventsEssential otoshidamaお年玉New Year money given to children
- Annual EventsEssential obonお盆the summer festival for returning ancestors
- Annual EventsEssential goruden wikuゴールデンウィークthe spring holiday cluster
- Annual EventsEssential kodomo no hiこどもの日Children's Day and the carp streamers
- Annual EventsEssential barentain deバレンタインデーthe day women give chocolate, and the day men return it
- Annual EventsEssential howaito deホワイトデーMarch 14, the return gift for Valentine's Day
- Annual EventsEssential yatai夏祭りの屋台festival food stalls
- Annual EventsEssential hanabi taikai花火大会the summer fireworks festival
- Annual EventsEssential hanami花見cherry blossom viewing
- Annual EventsEssential matsuri祭りa local festival
- Annual EventsEssential matsuri no yatai祭りの屋台the food and game stalls at a festival
- Annual EventsEssential hatsumode初詣the first shrine visit of the year
- Annual EventsEssential hatsuhinode初日の出the first sunrise of the New Year
- Annual EventsEssential hatsuuri and fukubukuro初売りと福袋New Year sales and lucky bags
- Annual EventsEssential hinamatsuri雛祭りthe doll festival on March 3rd
- Annual EventsEssential omisoka大晦日New Year's Eve in Japan
- Annual EventsEssential osoji大掃除the year-end deep clean
- Annual EventsEssential nihon no kurisumasu日本のクリスマスChristmas as a couples' night with fried chicken
- Annual EventsEssential nihon no shukujitsu日本の祝日the national holiday calendar
- Annual EventsEssential toshikoshi soba年越しそばNew Year's Eve noodles
- Annual EventsEssential haha no hi to chichi no hi母の日と父の日how Japan observes the two imported family days
- Annual EventsEssential bonenkai忘年会the year-end party to forget the year
- Annual EventsEssential bonenkai and shinnenkai忘年会と新年会year-end and new-year parties
- Annual EventsEssential bon odori盆踊りthe summer circle dance
- FolkloreEssential eto干支the twelve-year cycle of zodiac animals
- Food & DrinkEssential zoni雑煮the New Year soup with rice cakes in it
- Life EventsEssential nengajo年賀状New Year greeting cards
- ShintoEssential mikoshi神輿the portable shrine carried through the streets at a festival
Standard（54）
- ArtsStandard shishimai獅子舞the lion dance that bites your head for luck
- BuddhismStandard joya no kane除夜の鐘the 108 bells on New Year's Eve
- Martial ArtsStandard enbu演武a martial arts demonstration performed instead of a match
- Martial ArtsStandard honbasho大相撲の本場所the six official grand sumo tournaments held each year
- Martial ArtsStandard danpatsushiki断髪式the ceremony where a retiring sumo wrestler's topknot is cut off
- ClothingStandard iro-uchikake色打掛a colorful, richly decorated kimono robe worn by a bride
- Annual EventsStandard otsukimiお月見moon viewing in autumn
- Annual EventsStandard Sapporo yuki matsuriさっぽろ雪まつりthe February festival of giant snow sculptures in Sapporo
- Annual EventsStandard supotsu no hiスポーツの日Sports Day, the second Monday of October
- Annual EventsStandard dondo yakiどんど焼きthe mid-January bonfire for New Year decorations
- Annual EventsStandard koromogae衣替えthe seasonal switch between summer and winter clothing
- Annual EventsStandard umi no hi海の日Marine Day, the third Monday of July
- Annual EventsStandard kanchu mimai寒中見舞いthe midwinter greeting card
- Annual EventsStandard kanto matsuri竿燈まつりthe Akita festival of lantern poles balanced on one hand
- Annual EventsStandard kisei rasshu帰省ラッシュthe mass return to the hometown
- Annual EventsStandard kagami biraki鏡開きbreaking open the New Year rice cakes
- Annual EventsStandard kagamimochi鏡餅と鏡開きthe stacked New Year rice cakes
- Annual EventsStandard kinro kansha no hi勤労感謝の日Labor Thanksgiving Day, November 23rd
- Annual EventsStandard keiro no hi敬老の日the September holiday honoring older people
- Annual EventsStandard kenkoku kinen no hi建国記念の日National Foundation Day, February 11th
- Annual EventsStandard kenpo kinenbi憲法記念日Constitution Memorial Day, May 3rd
- Annual EventsStandard goyo osame御用納めと仕事始めthe last and first working days of the year
- Annual EventsStandard yama no hi山の日Mountain Day, August 11th, Japan's newest public holiday
- Annual EventsStandard Jidai Matsuri時代祭Kyoto's Festival of the Ages, a costume parade through Japanese history
- Annual EventsStandard nanakusa七草がゆthe seven-herb porridge eaten on January 7th
- Annual EventsStandard tanabata七夕the star festival
- Annual EventsStandard shochu mimai暑中見舞いthe midsummer greeting card
- Annual EventsStandard kakizome書き初めthe first calligraphy of the year
- Annual EventsStandard Showa no hi to midori no hi昭和の日とみどりの日the two late-April holidays that swapped names and dates
- Annual EventsStandard matsu no uchi松の内the period New Year decorations stay up
- Annual EventsStandard shogatsu no asobi正月の遊びthe traditional games played at New Year
- Annual EventsStandard shoryo uma精霊馬the cucumber horse and eggplant cow made for Obon
- Annual EventsStandard setsubun節分the bean-throwing festival at the start of spring
- Annual EventsStandard tenno tanjobi天皇誕生日the Emperor's Birthday, a holiday whose date changes with the reign
- Annual EventsStandard doyo no ushi土用の丑の日the day everyone eats eel
- Annual EventsStandard toji冬至the shortest day, with a yuzu bath and pumpkin
- Annual EventsStandard toji to yuzuyu冬至とゆず湯the winter solstice and citrus baths
- Annual EventsStandard toro nagashi灯籠流しfloating lanterns for the dead
- Annual EventsStandard tori no ichi酉の市the November rake market for good business
- Annual EventsStandard nijushi sekki二十四節気the twenty-four solar terms of the traditional calendar
- Annual EventsStandard nihon no harowin日本のハロウィンHalloween as a street costume event
- Annual EventsStandard kashiwamochi and chimaki柏餅とちまきthe two sweets eaten on Children's Day, east and west
- Annual EventsStandard higan彼岸the weeks around the equinoxes when families visit graves
- Annual EventsStandard bunka no hi文化の日Culture Day, November 3rd
- Annual EventsStandard kadomatsu門松the pine and bamboo arrangement placed at the door for the New Year
- Annual EventsStandard ritto立冬the start of winter in the traditional calendar, around November 7th
- Annual EventsStandard rokuyo六曜the six-day luck cycle on calendars
- Food & DrinkStandard ehomaki恵方巻the uncut sushi roll eaten facing a set direction at Setsubun
- Seasons & NatureStandard kyureki旧暦the old lunisolar calendar Japan used until 1872
- Seasons & NatureStandard sakura zensen桜前線the cherry blossom front
- Onsen & BathStandard shobuyu菖蒲湯a bath with fragrant sweet flag leaves on Children's Day
- Pop CultureStandard Kohaku Uta Gassen紅白歌合戦the New Year's Eve song contest on public television
- School LifeStandard bunkasai文化祭the school culture festival
- ShintoStandard Gion Matsuri祇園祭the month-long Kyoto festival that began as a rite against plague
Advanced（18）
- BuddhismAdvanced nehan-e涅槃会the Buddhist memorial service for the Buddha's death
- Martial ArtsAdvanced kemari蹴鞠the Heian court game of keeping a ball in the air
- ClothingAdvanced happi法被the straight-sleeved festival coat
- Annual EventsAdvanced ebisu koえびす講the merchants' festival for the god of business
- Annual EventsAdvanced nagoshi no harae夏越の祓the midsummer purification
- Annual EventsAdvanced hanamatsuri花祭りthe Buddha's birthday
- Annual EventsAdvanced go-sekku五節句the five seasonal festivals of the old calendar
- Annual EventsAdvanced zassetsu雑節Japan's own seasonal markers, added to the imported calendar
- Annual EventsAdvanced jusan mairi十三参りthe shrine visit at thirteen
- Annual EventsAdvanced jusanya十三夜the second moon-viewing night, about a month after the harvest moon
- Annual EventsAdvanced choyo重陽の節句the chrysanthemum festival of the ninth month
- Annual EventsAdvanced hatsuuma初午the February day for the fox shrines
- Annual EventsAdvanced hatsuyume初夢the first dream of the year, and what it is said to foretell
- Annual EventsAdvanced niinamesai新嘗祭と勤労感謝の日the harvest rite behind a public holiday
- Annual EventsAdvanced hari kuyo針供養a memorial service for broken needles
- Food & DrinkAdvanced yakatabune屋形船the roofed boat you eat and drink on
- ShintoAdvanced kamimukaesai神迎祭the night ritual at Izumo that welcomes gods from all over Japan
- ShintoAdvanced reitaisai例大祭a shrine's own most important annual festival