June 2025: Five Must-See Events to Light Up Your Month

June is just the beginning of summer, but it’s already packed with exciting activities and events for everyone in Japan! Some celebrate the country’s rich traditions, while others bring together people with the same hobbies and passions. So, what’s special about June 2025? Let’s check out five extraordinary events you won’t want to miss as the vibrant summer season kicks off!

Yosakoi Soran Festival (June 4th-8th)

In June 2025, Odori Park will explode with color, music, and movement as over 30,000 dancers from Japan and other countries come together to perform. Dressed in bright costumes and makeup, the teams dance to the fast beats of taiko drums and the sounds of the Soran Bushi, a traditional Hokkaido fisherman’s song. Each team uses naruko (wooden clappers) to add rhythm to the dances!

The most exciting part is the big final when the best teams compete to win the Yosakoi Soran Grand Prize. It’s like a giant dance party where everyone cheers and claps. If you’re feeling brave, you can even try dancing yourself at Waodori Square, where visitors can learn some cool moves!

The Yosakoi Soran Festival is about dancing, energy, teamwork, and joy! It’s a mix of old traditions and new styles that grows yearly. There are all kinds of dances, from traditional-looking ones to super modern ones with pop music and wild moves.

Kashima Gatalympics (June 8th)

The Kashima Gatalympics occur on the muddy flats of the Ariake Sea. When the tide goes out, a giant muddy field appears. That’s when the games begin! People from Japan and even other countries come to play silly sports in the mud. There’s mud sumo, surfing on mud, bike races on slippery planks, and even a 25-meter mud dash!

The Gatalympics started in 1985, all because Kashima City wanted to do something unique to stand out. They mixed the words gata (mudflat) and Olympics to make the name. At first, only 300 people joined. Now, over 2,000 people take part in more than ten muddy games! The mud used to be just messy land, but now it’s the city’s pride.

There’s a fun game for kids where they dig through the mud to find hidden balls. There’s also a float battle where girls try to push each other off a bouncy mat—only one stays on! No one stays clean. People laugh, fall, and splash everywhere. Even if you lose, you get a free mud bath. And big fire hoses help clean you up after all the fun. 

Tohoku Local Beer Festival (June 6th-8th)

The Tohoku Local Beer Festival is a lively annual event in Akita City. It takes place in the city center at Nigiwai Park, just a short walk from Akita Station. This festival is all about enjoying yummy craft beer made in Tohoku. Brewers come from all six prefectures of Tohoku and even Hokkaido to share their best drinks. It’s one of the most awaited events of June 2025 and is free to enter!

The festival, created by the Tohoku Craft Beer Club and Pension Beer Field, started in 2004 and quickly became a favorite event where people gather to taste excellent local drinks and celebrate together. There are many kinds of beer to try, such as hoppy, dark and creamy, fruity, and some that are only made for this festival. Every booth has its own story, and the brewers love to share how their beer is made.

Besides drinking, there’s a special part called the Tohoku Meat Festival, where you can eat juicy Akita beef, garlic-flavored chicken from Aomori, pork from Yamagata, and more. While you munch and sip, you can listen to live music, watch local dances, and even join in some festival games.

Are you looking for great snacks while attending festivals this summer? Check out TokyoTreat! TokyoTreat delivers limited-edition Japanese noodles, snacks, drinks, and sweets right to your door so you can enjoy the latest treats directly from Japan!

Jujutsu Kaisen Exhibition Osaka (April 19th-June 9th)

If you’re a fan of Jujutsu Kaisen, then Osaka is the place to be this June 2025! From April 19 to June 9, 2025, visitors can dive into the fantastic world of this manga through the Jujutsu Kaisen Exhibition. 

You can check out drafts, character designs, behind-the-scenes secrets, and even messages from the creator, Gege Akutami. There are four areas to explore, each showing a different part of how the manga is made, plus excellent photo spots where you can snap cool pictures with art from the series! If you buy the audio guide, you’ll also hear from your favorite anime voice actors.

And if you’re hungry, don’t miss the exclusive food here! Try the Oroshi Sauce Takoyaki (octopus balls) at Takoyaki Doraku Wanaka, or enjoy the cool ramune (carbonated soft drink) and mango ice candies at Hokkyoku.

Kyoto Art Fireworks (late June)

The Kyoto Art Fireworks is a vibrant fireworks show held at Kyoto Racecourse in the Yodo area of Kyoto. Instead of just popping and bursting, the fireworks dance to music. They sparkle and explode to the beat of famous songs such as Bohemian Rhapsody and Imagine.

At the event, you can try tasty Japanese snacks like takoyaki, yakisoba (fried noodles), and kakigori (shaved ice). When the clock hits 8 pm, the sky becomes a giant stage! More than 13,000 fireworks light up the night, perfectly timed with over ten amazing songs from all kinds of music, including classical and hip-hop!

Horikawa Festival (early June)

This event occurs near the peaceful Horikawa River in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture. The well-known Kyoto Gion Festival inspires it. The festival is full of fun and lasts for two awesome days! And if you’re there at the right time, you might even see beautiful fireworks sparkle in the sky!

On the first night, glowing floats covered with bright lanterns roll through the streets when the sky darkens. Big taiko drums boom loudly, and the lights and music make everything magical! On the second day, the joy continues in the daytime with huge Oyama, a ten-meter-tall float. It’s on wheels and pulled by ropes by lots of excited people. It’s so tall, it’s even bigger than the power lines, so they move it carefully.

Why should I attend these joyful events in June 2025?

Joining these special events isn’t just about fun; it’s about being part of something bigger! Each invites you to share laughter, stories, traditions, and new experiences with people from different places and backgrounds.

Whether you find joy in dancing, splashing in the mud, tasting local food, or seeing fireworks set to music, these events offer moments that help us feel connected and alive. So, what kind of joy are you hoping to find this June 2025? Tell us in the comments!