10 Cultural Events in Chubu That You Shouldn't Miss

The Tetsuya Odori is the highlight of the Gujo Odori dance festival. Taking place in heat of late summer, locals and visitors alike dominate to the evening streets to learn and perform Japanese traditional folk dances. Taking place over four days, dancers remain on the street energetically whirling from 8:00pm until dawn the following day. While any form of dress is welcome, shops and stalls rent out patterned yukata, and many guests don wooden 'geta' shoes that help to keep the rhythm and add to the beat of the music. It's a whirlwind of spirit and zeal, where strangers become friends and hundreds of people enjoy dancing like no one is watching.

A winter festival of Tokamachi, Niigata Prefecture, which is known as one of Japan's leading heavy snowfall areas. It began in 1950 with the local residents' concept of "enjoy the snow, as a friend of the snow." The main event is the residents' handmade "artworks made of snow." The collection of huge artistic works makes a big impression on the viewer. In addition, "festival plazas" in almost 30 locations in the city and surrounding villages, you can enjoy such things as regional cuisine, snow tea ceremony, and snow slides. And the "Snow Carnival," live music and shows held on a huge stage made of snow, is not to be missed.

Takayama in Gifu Prefecture is where the Autumn Hachiman Festival is held at Hachiman Shrine (October 9-10). The traditions of the Edo period have been scrupulously maintained even as eras change. Several hundred paradegoers dressed in traditional clothing perform court music and traditional dance as they transport the local shrine to its resting place. There are also special parade floats seen only in autumn. At night, they are lit with lanterns and paraded back to their storehouses while traditional songs are sung -- this is a true picture of Japanese seasonal tradition. Like its autumn variant, the Spring Sanno Festival at Hie Shrine (April 14-15) is also called the "Takayama Festival (Spring)."

One of the classic hallmarks of summer in the city of Gamagori, the Gamagori Festival is held on a Saturday every July, attracting over 200,000 visitors a year to its wide variety of events. On Sunday, the festival concludes with a fireworks display in the cool of the evening. The show's biggest attractions are its giant "3-shakudama" fireworks, the largest class of fireworks on the Pacific Coast, which reach diameters of 650 meters-they leave the crowds truly awestruck when they light up the night sky.

The grape festival is held in Katsunuma, Koshu City, a place renowned for its grapes and wine. The festival takes place in Katsunuma Central Park, where you can enjoy free grapes and wine, and where there is a corner where you can buy a wineglass in order to sample the wine at booths run by wineries in the city. The festival includes stages for drumming and music as well as events such as a procession with a majestic portable shrine. In the evening, the night sky is lit up by the haunting scene of a burning torii gate as well as by beautiful fireworks overhead.

The Fuji Lake Kawaguchi Koyo Festival is held in autumn right when the foliage on Lake Kawaguchi turns a beautiful color. A range of stalls plying wares also appear around the venue. The must-see of the event is the "foliage tunnel," where sixty massive trees around the Nashigawa are illuminated at night. From dusk until 10:00 PM, this romantic light-up enchants visitors.

This event is held in Shizuoka at the beginning of November every year and brings numerous artists from around the world together. It began in 1992 and has now became a signature Shizuoka event. Held principally at Sunpu Castle Park and sites around the city, various enchanting performances are put on. Performers are grouped into three categories: of those, the performer scoring the most points in the World Cup category is crowned as that year's champion.

Of the cherry blossom trees, the "kawa-zakura" is known as an early bloomer. Starting in late January, its rich pink petals can be enjoyed for close to a month. The Kawazakura Festival begins with the blooming of the trees, and close to 800 trees on a 4km stretch along the Kawazu River burst forth in pink. At night, the area along the banks of the river becomes a pedestrian paradise, with beautiful illuminations. This is also true at Mine Onsen, where the trees are lit up. Seeing the cherry trees emerge out of the darkness is mysterious and beautiful. There are foot baths along the road where you can take a soak, and local specialties are on sale, as well as stalls serving food and drink. There are also special performances on stage.

As the nanohana (rape blossoms) and early-blooming Minamino kawazu-sakura cherries open, this festival is held from early February through March in Minami-izu. Rows of cherry blossoms span 4.2Km along the banks of the Aono River, with nearly 800 trees in a rich and vivid pink. Beneath them are the fallen rape blossoms, creating a carpet of yellow and a colorful world of spring. At night, the cherry blossoms are illuminated, and cherry blossom tea is offered, with sweet sake and other refreshments also for sale. Local delicacies are also sold, a marathon event is put on, andf much more.

This model and toy trade fair is held in Shizuoka City every May and features plastic models, radio-controlled toys, model trains, and more. It is the largest model hobby event in the country, gathering together the latest products and promotional items, including new products that have not yet been released. At each exhibition corner, visitors can directly ask questions of staff members from the manufacturers, and some of the items are available for purchase. In additional to the wide variety of model-related events, there will also be an "attraction corner" and workspace setup where visitors can get first hand experience with products that catch their interest. The fair is certain to delight the whole family, kids and adults alike.