GET THE PARTY STARTED
 RISING TEMPERATURES IN JAPAN HERALD THE START OF THE SUMMER FESTIVAL SEASON. MANAMI OKAZAKI HIGHLIGHTS A FEW OF THE HOTTEST EVENTS IN THE COMING MONTHS
AS THE TEMPERATURE rises with the onset of summer, and languid, lazy days melt into humid nights, the season filled with festivities kicks o? - and the whole of Japan gives way to months of merry-making filled with firework displays and local matsuri ceremonies.
Japanese matsuri, or festivals, are provincial gatherings held on certain days of the month, usually relating to Shinto or Buddhist days of significance, and an occasion when the whole town comes alive with dancing and drinking.
People dress up in kimonos or traditional garb, and the usually reserved townsfolk drop their inhibitions to join the city in joyous celebrations that can go on until the early hours of the morning.
Visually spectacular and lots of fun, there is also a real sense of a unified local pride. Even in the most modernised of cities, a deeply ingrained respect for local traditions flourishes as all age groups come together to pray for well-being and happiness.
 Each local festival usually centres on a particular shrine and involves re-enactment of certain historical events, with people dressing up in period costumes in a procession, performing fire rituals, taking part in archery contests, and carrying huge portable shrines containing a local Shinto god called omikoshi.
Ultimately, it is an opportunity for the locals to let their hair down in an extravaganza of drinking, dancing, chanting, fireworks, and music within a carnival-like atmosphere. And this is what makes it such a great time to visit Japan.
STEEPED IN HISTORY
 Matsuri historically relates to folk and religious rituals - essentially, a homage to the four seasons that are steeped in symbolical significance and date back hundreds of years. Whilst initially observances of Shinto faith, the events have slowly incorporated Buddhist elements, where participants "communicate" and show their devotion to the gods through ritualistic o? erings.
Traditionally an agrarian society, Japan's festivals are oft en linked to rice-growing and the cultivation of crops. By showing devotion to the deities, the town is assured of a bountiful harvest free of insect scourges, plagues and pestilence. Summer festivals, in particular, have the role of driving o? natural disasters that might threaten the crops, while spring festivals invoke rich harvests and autumn festivals are thanksgiving for a good harvest.
Besides making ritualistic o?erings of items such as sake and sweets, these village festivals are a much-anticipated event that give farming families an excuse to take time out for a day from working in the fields.
MODERN-DAY CELEBRATIONS
 Following on from this, modern festivals are now more about spending time with friends and family, getting dressed up and enjoying a good cup of sake, than anything inherently religious.
The festival food is also particular to these events, with many BBQ-style stalls set up by vendors who spend the whole year trouping around Japan following festivals. Among the snacks on o? er are okonimiyaki , a Japanese style of savoury fritter with seafood, pork and vegetable fillings, yakisoba noodles, and various types of sweet treats, such as kasutera (castella sponge cakes) and toffee apples.
 Young and old alike dress up in their favourite summer yukata kimonos or happi coats, walk around in a pair of geta (traditional sandals), and might have a go at carrying an omikoshi shrine.
Other activities also feature within modern matsuri , including the catching of goldfish, karaoke and poetry contests. Events such as sumo matches and displays of traditional martial arts make you feel like you have travelled back in time into an era before skyscrapers and cars.
FUN IN FUKUOKA
 Possibly the most breathtaking and exciting festival is the Hakata Dontaku, which takes place in Fukuoka on 3-4 May annually.
This widely anticipated event is one of the highlights of the "Golden Week" in Japan, a time when almost everybody has at least three days of holidays and sees visitors from all over the country head to the city to join in the celebrations.
The festival originates from a local 13th century New Year's custom known as matsubayashi , during which the townspeople paid their respects to the feudal lord. The occasion became known as Dontaku - a word that comes from the Dutch word zontag , meaning "Sunday" or "a holiday". Decorative floats and doll-filled platforms also became a feature of the event at this time. In the Meiji period between 1868-1912, the matsubayashi grew further in size to become a major celebration.
Today, Hakata Dontaku is a very fun community event, where people sing and dance, and enjoy performances on special stages set up around the city. A colourful street parade works its way along a 1.2km stretch of road named "Dontaku Square", during which traditional matsuri music is performed by over 12,000 people belonging to over 120 groups - some of them play traditional Japanese instruments, while others use brass instruments.
 Elsewhere, a further 16,000 dancers, singers and performers energetically entertain enthusiastic crowds with a wide range of acts on the temporary stages.
Makoto Omiya of the Fukuoka Prefecture Tourist Association explains why Dontaku is particularly popular: "The Fukuoka people are renowned for their love of festivals - that's why they all love to come out and enjoy the day. There are many di?erent stages, so the spectators can also take part, learning and performing new dance steps." The festival's finale is a spectacular fireworks display.
Another notable event in Fukuoka's summer calendar is the Hakata Gion Yamakasa (1-15 July), the highlight being the impressive omikoshi float races on the last day. These last for about half an hour as teams take turns carrying the one-tonne float, which requires 32  people to lift it. Spectators throw water on the teams as they pass, representing another occasion for everyone to forget the usual strict social protocol and mix on an equal footing.
"This is a tradition of over 700 years, and is an opportunity for people to forgo hierarchical status. Everyone can greet each other and join in," explains Omiya.
THE BEST OF HIROSHIMA
 In Hiroshima, the stunning Flower Festival is held annually on 3-5 May at the Peace Boulevard, following the theme: "Let the circle of flowers, the circle of human beings and the message of peace spread more and more widely".
The festival attracts over 1.3 million people each year and features gorgeously adorned flower floats built according to designs submitted by the public. Parades of over 100,000 singing and dancing participants are the biggest draw card of what is described by the local Tourism Promotion O? ce as "Hiroshima's main festival, which represents both the city and concept of peace".
 Also signifying the same important subject is Hiroshima's historic and thought-provoking Peace Memorial Ceremony on 6 August. At exactly 8:15am, the time the atomic bomb was dropped in 1945, the Peace Bell is rung, sirens sound all over the city, and for one minute, people at the ceremony grounds, in households and at workplaces pay silent tribute and say a prayer.
That evening, lanterns are set afloat down the river for the souls of those who died. The result is a hauntingly beautiful scene that sends a powerful message of peace.
BURSTS OF COLOUR
 The final not-to-be-missed element of Japan's summer festivals is that of dazzling firework displays - held all over the country throughout the summer, when the night sky fills with spectacular bursts of unimaginable light and colour.
Beautifully choreographed and a display of pyrotechnical prowess, each year sees new shows of creativity reflecting the Japanese sense of aesthetics, with careful attention given to every detail in the combination of colours and integration of ideas - not to mention the mind-boggling designs that can range from kitsch Hello Kitty to Pokemon-shaped explosions.
Both Hiroshima and Fukuoka host annual pyrotechnic displays in the summer months - the former letting o? 8,000 fireworks at Hiroshima Harbour. However, possibly the most visually stunning is the mid-August spectacle at Hiroshima's Miyajima Island, when a series of fireworks are set o? in the water against the impressive backdrop of Itsukushima Shrine's sacred, crimson red torri gates.
A visitor to Japan will soon learn that this is a nation bound by festivals, with one taking place almost every month somewhere in one of the prefectures. Yet, those running from May onward through the warm summer months - particularly in Fukuoka and Hiroshima - are arguably the most impressive. Such events o? er visitors a unique opportunity to join local residents in celebration and provide a special high point to any trip to Japan.
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