Seize the Tail of Summer: Central and Hokuriku Heat Festival

By / MOOK Editorial Department
 
As summer arrives with rising temperatures, the Chubu region celebrates with numerous nighttime events that make the sweltering nights more bearable. In the evening, people pray for peace and send hopes with lanterns, while also enjoying joyous group dances that help dispel the heat and summer fatigue. Night festivals, fireworks displays, and light festivals — a variety of lively events ensure that summer is never lonely.

For residents of the Noto region, the most important traditional festival of summer 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 giant lanterns, about 10 meters tall, decorated with carvings, paintings, and gold leaf — a unique style that makes Noto’s lanterns truly one of a kind. Even if you’re not in Noto during the festival, you can still experience the lively atmosphere of Noto’s summer nights by visiting the Kiriko Lantern Museum to see a collection of lanterns gathered from various regions.

Held every late summer, the Yongping City Grand Lantern Flow Festival involves releasing individual lanterns into the river near a temple. Beyond bidding farewell to summer, the ritual also symbolizes sending away misfortune and praying for blessings. On summer evenings, the little lanterns float down the stream like small flowers, and the intense summer heat seems to vanish along with them.

The three-day-long Yukawa Onsen Festival is the largest event in Yukawa Onsen. In addition to spectacular fireworks over the Hida River, there's also the "Dragon God Fire Festival," where a dancing dragon shines amid the sparks of firecrackers. Geisha gracefully carry portable shrines through the streets in prayers for blessings — a lively summer spectacle you shouldn’t miss.

The Gamagori Tehon Fireworks Festival is a major midsummer event in Aichi Prefecture. Tehon fireworks originate from the Higashi-Mikawa region of Aichi and are launched by artisans holding tubes filled with gunpowder. When ignited, sparks burst forth in all directions, lighting up the night sky. The close-range fireworks thrill and delight visitors. Tehon fireworks performances can also be seen at the Tagata Shrine Festival.