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Japanese Culture

Customs, etiquette, traditions, and cultural insights to help you get the most out of your trip to Japan.

A summer night festival, rows of glowing paper lanterns lighting the path as crowds stroll beneath them
Places

Mitama Matsuri 2026: 30,000 Lanterns at Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine (July 13–16)

Jun 29, 2026
Red and green fireworks burst over a river at a Japanese summer festival, with lantern-decorated boats along the bank and illuminated trees and city lights reflected in the water.
Places

Tenjin Matsuri 2026: The Complete Guide to Osaka's Boat Procession and Fireworks (July 24-25)

Jun 26, 2026
Gion Matsuri yoiyama in Kyoto, with the Minami Kannon Yama float lit by rows of paper lanterns — white lanterns bearing tomoe crests and red lanterns reading "Minami Kannon Yama" — glowing at dusk.
Places

Gion Matsuri 2026: A First-Timer's Guide to Kyoto's Float Processions (July 17 & 24), Yoiyama Nights & Seats

Jun 26, 2026
Train
Culture

Japan Train Etiquette (2026): 8 Unwritten Rules Every Tourist Should Know

Jun 19, 2026
Collage of six major Tokyo summer fireworks shows lighting up the sky over rivers, bridges, city skylines, and Tokyo Skytree.
Places

Tokyo Fireworks Festivals 2026: 6 Major Hanabi Shows to See This Summer (Dates, Access & Tips)

Jun 18, 2026
Colorful Tanabata streamers and Shitamachi Tanabata Festival lanterns line Kappabashi Hondori at night, with Tokyo Skytree lit blue in the distance
Places

Shitamachi Tanabata Festival 2026: Asakusa's 1.2km Street of Wishes (July 3-7)

Jun 17, 2026
A Hōzuki-ichi market sign reading "Asakusa Hōzuki-ichi" and "Shimanrokusennichi," illustrated with red hōzuki (ground cherries), with Edo glass wind bells and paper strips in front.
Places

Asakusa Hōzuki-ichi 2026: Sensō-ji's Ground-Cherry Market on July 9–10 (and the 46,000-Day Blessing)

Jun 16, 2026
An onsen bath fed by hot water pouring from a wooden spout, with steam rising
Culture

Visiting Onsen with Tattoos in Japan: Can You Bathe if You Have Ink? A 2026 Guide to Cover-Ups, Private Baths & Tattoo-Friendly Spots

Jun 15, 2026
Night view of the garden at Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo, with the illuminated three-storied pagoda (Entsukaku) rising above the trees and Tokyo Unkai mist drifting in the foreground
Places

Fireflies at Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo 2026: See Genji Fireflies in the City (Dates, Times & Prices)

Jun 10, 2026
A stone path lined with blue hydrangeas, leading past a small tiled-roof temple hall
Places

Kamakura Hydrangeas 2026: A Guide to Meigetsuin, Hasedera & How to Beat the Crowds

Jun 2, 2026
A glass tip jar filled with US dollar bills and coins, tagged with a handwritten "Tips" label, beside a coffee cup on a wooden table
Culture

Do You Tip in Japan? A 2026 Guide to Tipping, Service Charges, and Kokorozuke

May 31, 2026
Hie Shrine's distinctive gabled Sanno torii gate in Akasaka, its "Sanno Hie Jinja" plaque at center, with a modern Tokyo high-rise rising behind
Places

Sanno Matsuri 2026: Tokyo's Grand “Shogun's Festival” Returns June 7-17 — Don't Miss the Once-Every-2-Years Procession on June 12

May 30, 2026
Interior of a Tokyo sento with a large Mount Fuji wall painting above tiled bathtubs
Culture

Your First Sento: A Beginner's Guide to Tokyo's Neighborhood Bathhouses

May 24, 2026
People walking with umbrellas along a hydrangea-lined sidewalk on a rainy day in Tokyo
Know-How

What to Wear in Japan in June: Your Complete Guide to Dressing for Rainy Season

May 23, 2026
Close-up of a single firefly perched on a blade of grass, glowing yellow-green at night
Places

Tokyo's Firefly Magic: 5 Places to Catch Hotaru in the City This Early Summer (2026)

May 20, 2026
A person walking under a clear vinyl umbrella on a rainy traditional street in Japan
Culture

Japan Rainy Season Guide: Umbrella Etiquette Every Traveler Should Know

May 20, 2026
A "Hiyashi Chuka Hajimemashita" poster taped to the window of a neighborhood Chinese restaurant, with food display samples in the glass showcase
Food & Drink

"Hiyashi Chuka Hajimemashita": The Tiny Sign That Tells Japan Summer Has Begun

May 20, 2026
Yanesen highlights collage — Yanaka Ginza at dusk, Kayaba Coffee's wooden facade, a bustling shopping street, tree-lined Yanaka Cemetery, and Nezu Shrine's gate
Places

The Yanesen Walking Guide: Slow Down in Tokyo's Most Charming Old-Town Neighborhood

May 15, 2026
Asakusa Sanja Matsuri — Nakamise-dori Street
Places

Sanja Matsuri 2026: Your Guide to Tokyo’s Most Energetic Mikoshi Festival in Asakusa

May 14, 2026
Countless coins littering the bottom of a spring pond at Oshino Hakkai, a UNESCO World Heritage site
Culture

Please Don't Throw Coins in the Pond — It's Not a Wishing Well

May 12, 2026