Catch the Tail of Summer: Central & Hokuriku Heat Festival

By MOOK Editorial Department
 
As summer arrives with rising temperatures, the Chubu region celebrates with many nighttime events to make the sweltering evenings more bearable. By night, paper lanterns are used to pray for peace and send hopes, while also hosting joyful group dances that help drive away the heat and the weariness of summer. Night festivals, fireworks displays, and illumination events keep the summer spirit alive with a variety of exciting activities.

For residents of the Noto region, the most important traditional summer festival is the “Kiriko Festival (キリコ祭り).” Though the timing varies by area, it generally takes place between July and October. The festival features massive lanterns up to about 10 meters tall, decorated with carvings, paintings, and gold leaf—making Noto’s lanterns truly one of a kind. Even if you can’t visit during the festival, you can still experience the lively atmosphere of Noto’s summer nights at the Kiriko Lantern Museum, which showcases a collection of kiriko lanterns gathered from various locations.

The Yongping City Grand Lantern Flow Festival, held annually in late summer, involves releasing individual lanterns into the river near the temple. In addition to bidding farewell to summer, the ritual also symbolizes the casting off of misfortune and the sending of blessings. On summer evenings, the riverbank is adorned with tiny lanterns that float away like little flowers, and the oppressive heat of summer seems to vanish along with them.

The three-day-long Yoro Onsen Festival is the largest event in the Yoro Onsen area. Alongside spectacular fireworks over the Hida River, there’s the dazzling Dragon God Fire Festival (“Ryujinbi Matsuri”), where a dancing dragon performs amid bursts of sparklers. The festival also features beautiful geisha carrying portable shrines in a parade to pray for blessings—making it an unmissable summer spectacle.

The Gamagori Tehonka Fireworks Festival is a major summer event in Aichi Prefecture. Tehonka fireworks originated in the Eastern Mikawa region of Aichi and are launched by artisans holding tubes filled with gunpowder. When ignited, the tubes shoot sparks in all directions, lighting up the night sky. The close-range display thrills and startles visitors alike. Tehonka fireworks can also be seen at the ?hashi yG-en Festival.