The whole calendar of celebrations in order, from the first shrine visit of January to the snow palaces of February. Each entry lists the date, the meaning and the customs you would actually see and do.
The most important holiday in Japan. Families gather, visit shrines for hatsumode — the first prayer of the year — eat symbolic osechi dishes and send nengajo greeting cards. Homes are decorated with kadomatsu pine arrangements that welcome the year's deity.
The day before spring begins in the old calendar. People throw roasted soybeans out the door — or at a family member wearing a demon mask — shouting "Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!": demons out, fortune in.
Hokkaido's famous winter festival. Odori Park fills with hundreds of snow and ice sculptures — some the size of buildings — carved by teams from around the world and illuminated after dark.
Girls' Day. Families display ornamental hina dolls dressed in Heian-period court costume on tiered, red-carpeted platforms and wish their daughters health and happiness. The dolls go back in their boxes promptly after the day ends.
The beloved tradition of picnicking under blooming sakura. Friends, families and whole companies reserve spots in parks, share food and drink, and admire blossoms that last barely a week — a living lesson in the beauty of impermanence.
A national holiday celebrating children's health and growth. Families fly koinobori — carp-shaped streamers, one for each member — because the carp that swims up the waterfall symbolizes strength and perseverance.
Celebrates the once-a-year meeting of the star-crossed deities Orihime and Hikoboshi, separated by the Milky Way. People write wishes on colorful tanzaku paper strips and hang them on bamboo branches that sway outside homes, schools and shopping streets.
Kyoto's grandest festival, held for over a thousand years to appease the gods during epidemics. Its climax is the parade of yamaboko — towering wooden floats weighing up to twelve tons, hauled by teams of rope-pullers through the city center.
A Buddhist festival honoring ancestors, whose spirits are believed to return home for a few days. Families clean graves, light small welcoming fires at the door, and dance bon odori in the evenings; at the end, lanterns float down rivers to guide the spirits back.
An evening dedicated to admiring the autumn full moon — traditionally the fifteenth night of the eighth lunar month, when the moon is said to be at its most beautiful. Decorations of susuki pampas grass and offerings of round dumplings accompany quiet contemplation.
The autumn counterpart of hanami: traveling to mountains, gardens and temples to admire maple leaves turning crimson and gold. The "hunt" is for the perfect view, tracked by foliage forecasts just like the spring blossoms.
A rite of passage for children aged three, five and seven — ages once considered milestones of survival. Dressed in kimono, children visit shrines with their families to give thanks and pray for healthy growth.