Fun time for kids in Japan: Autumn Festival in Tokyo Local Shopping Streets

In September, many festivals are held across Japan to celebrate the rice harvest. At these festivals, people carry mikoshi (portable shrines) or pull dashi, which are elaborately decorated floats that showcase each region’s unique designs. Some events are kid-friendly, giving children a chance to experience local traditions and culture firsthand.

In our neighborhood shopping street, children received numbered tickets, and those with tickets got to pull the dashi themselves. They walked through the streets for about 30 minutes, with breaks along the way to enjoy juice and rest. At the end, each child received a participation certificate along with a bag of toys and sweets—lots of excitement and smiles all around! Anyone can join these activities.

On this day, numbered tickets were distributed starting at 3:00 PM, and participants gathered for departure at 4:00 PM. The weather was a bit drizzly, so I thought there might be only a few people, but when we arrived, there were lots of children—mostly elementary school students. Festivals like this are held all over Japan as a matter of course, but it’s really fun to take part in a tradition that has been going on for ages, especially together with your children.

Some festivals are open to everyone, but they are often not widely advertised on social media. If you happen to see a notice at a local shopping street, you might just have the chance to join in!

After the dashi experience, the local festival itself was full of sights and sounds. There were plenty of food stalls—though a bit pricey and with some hygiene considerations—but just looking around and feeling the atmosphere of a local festival will be fun.

Traditional kagura performances, with drums, flutes, and dances, gave children a lively taste of Japanese festival culture.

At first, the children were overwhelmed by the impressive sight of the nearby dashi float, and one of them muttered, “I don’t want to pull it…” But we reassured them, “It’s okay! You just hold the rope and walk!” Hesitantly, they grabbed it, and soon they were completely absorbed, pulling with all their might. The 3-year-old daughter was too scared and stayed in our arms the whole time. Some children participated wearing traditional samue or yukata.