KansaiAround 13–16 August
Obon holidays
Everywhere in Japan
Families go home to honour their ancestors. Trains and highways are very busy in mid-August.
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Kansai by month · 25–34°C
August
Candlelit evenings, cool mountains and midsummer heat
Crowds
August is the peak of summer: hot, humid and full of long, glowing evenings. Obon in mid-month is a time of remembrance, with lanterns, bon odori dancing and families travelling home. By day, it's all about shade, water and cool escapes.
It's good for families on summer break and travellers who love festivals and night-time atmosphere. The trade-offs: it's the hottest month, mid-August holidays make trains and stays busy and pricey, and typhoons become possible late in the month.
Festivals and big moments
Kyoto16 August, evening
Gozan no Okuribi, fire on the mountains
The hills around Kyoto
Five giant bonfire shapes, including the character 大 (“big”), are lit on the mountains to send ancestors’ spirits home.
Getting there · Best seen from the Kamo river banks
Open in Google Maps ↗OsakaDates vary each year
Summer fireworks
Osaka
Large fireworks shows take place along Osaka’s rivers through the summer. People come in yukata.
More to do this month
1Walk Nara's candle-lit nights
For about ten days in early-to-mid August, Nara Park is lit with tens of thousands of candles in the Nara Tokae. It's beautiful and free.
Nara Nara Park, around Kofuku-ji and Kasuga
2Escape to Mt Rokko
The mountains above Kobe are several degrees cooler, with forest walks and one of Japan's classic night views.
Kobe Mt Rokko and the Rokko Garden Terrace
3Browse the Gojozaka pottery fair
Around 7–10 August, hundreds of stalls selling ceramics line the slopes below Kiyomizu-dera.
Kyoto Gojozaka, below Kiyomizu-dera
4Hunt for books under the trees
A large used-book fair is held in mid-August in the ancient forest of Shimogamo Shrine, and it's shady and relaxed.
Kyoto Tadasu no Mori, Shimogamo Shrine
5Evening cormorant fishing
The firelit ukai boats run through summer. It's a calm, cool evening on the water.
Kyoto Arashiyama (Oi river) and Uji river
Eat this month
Hiyashi ameA chilled ginger-syrup drink that's an old-time Osaka summer favorite, sold at cafes and shrine stalls.
Kakigori (shaved ice)August is peak shaved-ice season. Uji matcha with sweet beans, or seasonal peach and melon in Osaka and Kyoto.
Kyoto summer vegetablesManganji peppers, Kamo eggplant and cucumbers are at their best, simply grilled or pickled in the Nishiki Market shops.
Good to know
- Obon (about 13–16 August) is one of Japan's busiest travel periods. Book trains and stays early.
- Some family-run shops and restaurants close for a few days during Obon.
- Keep an eye on typhoon forecasts late in the month and allow flexibility for day trips.