Some people think that once the summer season comes to a close the festival seasons will stop, but the festival season is never really over in Japan. In fact it is of my opinion that the really interesting festivals start in September. For instance the Furusato Hyappei Festival (ふるさと百餅祭り) is a festival that occurs in the city of Iwamizawa (岩見沢市) in Hokkaidō (北海道). The highlight of this festival features a large wooden pestle that is hoisted in the air and dropped in 60kg of glutinous rice to make rice cakes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDQZca-3z14&feature=related

Karasuzumo (烏相撲) is a festival that takes place at Kamigamo Jinja (上賀茂神社) or Kamigamo Shrine. The Karasuzumo is a very eccentric festival where the shrine priests caw like crows. Normally these men are reserved, but when the priests caw it’s like seeing another side of the priesthood! It’s especially hard to stifle a giggle when the priests starts hopping around like birds! Afterwards there is a amateur sumo competition, but the priest ritual is so more entertaining.

The Okuma Kabuto Festival (お熊甲祭) will take place in the town of Nakajima (中島町) in Ishikawa Prefecture (石川県). The Okuma Kabuto Festival is a boisterous festival with day long parades of shrine carriers, flag bearers, musicians singing and playing instruments and men pushing large floats. One of the interesting rituals of this Festival is when a man dressed in a goblin outfit and mask dances in the streets. It’s a festival I really recommend for the autumn season!