Kanazawa Festivals

Kanazawa has its fair share of festivals, both traditional and modern. If you can time your visit to Kanazawa to coincide with one of these unique celebrations then you are in for a rare treat! Here’s a complete list of Kanazawa’s major annual events.

January: Kanazawa City Fire Department Dezomeshiki

Kanazawa City Fire Department Dezomeshiki is an unusual annual festival held at Kanazawa Castle Park. Kanazawa fire brigade members gather to show off their bravery and traditional skills, setting up more than 40 ladders for the Kagatobi display, followed by a simultaneous water discharge.

Wearing Edo era costumes, firefighters perform daring acrobatics from the top of high ladders, spinning and whirling to the cheers of spectators. The exact date and program are announced each year. The event is free, lasts about one hour, and visitors should use public transport because there is no event parking.

Kagatobi Dezomeshiki (Photo by tsuda)

April: Cherry Blossom Viewing in Kanazawa

The cherry blossom season, with its clouds of perfect pink sakura blooms and merry picnic parties under the trees is both Japan’s prettiest and its happiest time. Winter is over, spring is here and everyone wants to celebrate!

Cherry blossoms at Kenrokuen Garden

Where better to view the cherry blossom than in one of Japan’s most famous landscape gardens: Kanazawa’s Kenrokuen? Kenrokuen has 400 cherry trees and when in bloom they are illuminated at night during the seasonal light-up period. Around peak bloom, Kenrokuen and Kanazawa Castle Park usually announce a short free-entry and evening light-up period.

Kanazawa Castle in sakura season

Other prime sakura locations are the Ishikawa-Mon gate of Kanazawa Castle Park, Utatsuyama Koen Park which has 250 trees in the Yonhyakunen-no-mori area, and along both banks of the Saigawa River. Kanazawa’s cherry trees usually bloom from late March to early April, but this differs from year to year according to the weather, so be sure to check official Kanazawa or Kenrokuen notices and the sakura forecast before you go!

June: Hyakumangoku Matsuri

The Hyakumangoku Festival parade commemorates Lord Maeda Toshiie’s entry into Kanazawa Castle in 1583. The Maeda family ruled over Kanazawa for almost 300 years and during this time the city prospered and became a major center of culture.

Hyakumangoku Matsuri (photo by Danko Georgiev)

Today the people of Kanazawa look back fondly on these glory years of their history and celebrate them with Kanazawa’s biggest festival. The festival is held over the first weekend of June. Friday includes opening ceremonies and an evening children’s lantern and taiko drum parade, while the main Hyakumangoku Parade takes place on Saturday afternoon from Kanazawa Station’s Kenrokuen Gate (East Gate) to Kanazawa Castle Park.

For 2026, the official schedule lists the parade for 14.00 to 18.00 on June 6th. This is a massive parade in 16th century costume, with one participant playing the part of Maeda Toshiie and local residents playing samurai warriors and other historical characters. Saturday events also include tea ceremonies, dynamic taiko drum performances, the Hyakumangoku Odori Nagashi dance event, and a Noh drama performance by firelight in Kanazawa Castle Park. Roads along the parade route are closed and buses run on detours or special schedules, so check the official schedule and traffic notices before planning sightseeing that day. The whole festival is one big wonderful celebration of the city and truly unforgettable.

September: Kanazawa Jazz Street

Kanazawa Jazz Street

Kanazawa Jazz Street is held around the September holiday weekend at various venues around Kanazawa city center. For 2026 the main festival dates are September 19th to 21st, with a reception live on September 18th. The program combines public performances, special concerts, and other jazz events, so check the official website for the latest schedule, venues, and ticket information.

Article by Michael Lambe. All rights reserved. Last updated 05-Jun-2026.