Things To Do in Nara - July 2025 Events
- NARA Visitor Center & Inn
- 2 days ago
- 7 min read
Updated: 1 hour ago
July is one of the busiest event months in Nara, with many a good reason to head out into the Nara countryside. The month starts with an outdoor dance festival for nature ravers in south Nara. Later in the month, there are a number of local festivals, including spectacular fireworks in Nosegawa Village. Yoshino hosts one of its more unique events, a frog hopping festival, and a Shinto summer festivals liven up country areas in Ikaruga, Sakurai and Gose. If you want to hang nearer to Nara City, read about the ‘Nara Lotus Road’ and where to view these impressive flowers.
Best things to do in Nara in July 2025:
Moment 2025 outdoor music festival - Tenkawa (07/04~06)
Wind god festival and fireworks at Tatsuta-taisha Shrine (07/06)
Pure Lotus frog hopping festival in Yoshino (07/07)
Lotus harvesting in Yamatotakada (07/07)
Kamotsuba-jinja Shrine lantern festival (07/16)
Tawaramoto summer ‘Gion’ Festival (07/19~20)
Nosegawa festival and fireworks (07/26)
Onpara festival at Tsunakoshi-jinja Shrine, Miwa (07/31)
Wind chimes at Ofusa Kannon Temple (07/01~)
Lotus flowers and the Nara Lotus Road (07/01~15)
♬What’s on in Nara - Music and the Arts🎨
1. Moment 2025 Outdoor Music Festival - Tenkawa
Date: Fri 04 to Sun 06
Entry: Various tckt prices
Time: All day
Location: Tenkawa Mura, Dorogawa 934-15, Yoshinogun, Nara
Transport: Free shuttle from Dorogawa Onsen.
If you are into house, techno, and ambient music, Moment 2025 is the outdoor music festival not to be missed in Nara. The venue is near Dorogawa Campsite with campsite accommodation tickets, or you can just visit for the day. This is also a family event, and children under 18 have free entry.
From Shimoichiguchi station on the Yoshino Line interchange, you take a Nara Kotsu bus to Dorogawa, and from there a free shuttle bus to the event. Alternatively, several direct buses a day leave from Osaka or Shinosaka stations. Kintetsu railway has a special Dorogawa 1-day pass, but the 3-day Yoshino pass does not include the Nara Kotsu Bus to Dorogawa Onsen.
2. Wind God Festival and Fireworks at Tatsuta-taisha Shrine
Date: Sun. 06
Entry: Free
Time: 14:00 to 22:00
Location: 1-29-1,Tateno-minami, Sango-cho, Ikoma-gun
Transport: 10-min-walk from Sango Station, JR Yamatoji Line
The Tatsuta-taisha Shrine is one of the most important shrines in Ikoma and Ikaruga. Among other Shinto gods, it enshrines the Wind God worshiped for mental stability, harmony, warding off epidemics and ensuring prosperity. It’s foundation dates to about 2100 years ago to the reign of the10th Emperor Sujin.
The first Sunday of July is Tatsuta-taisha Shine’s most important festival, the Fuchin Taisai Matsuri:
14:00 to 16:00 - prayers and offerings
17:00 to 18:00 - Fuujin taiko drum offering
18:30 to 19:00 - Wind God taiko drum offering
19:30 to 21:00 - Kawachi Ondo folk dancing
21:00 to 10:00 - Fireworks and sparkles
From JR Nara Station you take a train to Oji and then change to the JR Yamatoji Line. The Shrine is a 10-min-walk from Sango Station.
3. The Pure Lotus Frog Hopping Festival, Yoshino
Date: Mon. 07
Entry: Free
Time: 12:00 to 19:00
Location: Kinpusen-ji Temple, 2498 Yoshinoyama, Yoshinogun
Transport: Kintetsu-Yoshino line and a cable car from Yoshino Station
For July festivals, the Renge-e Kai Kaerutobi festival takes the lead. It happens at the main precinct of Kinpusen-ji Temple in Yoshino District. There are three parts to this festival. At 10:00 a.m. lotus flowers are harvested from a sacred pond in Yamatotakada. At noon, at Kinpusen-ji Temple, there is a goma or fire ceremony followed by taiko drumming. Then, at 16:00 is the ‘Frog Jumping Ceremony’ where a man dressed as a large frog ascends the temple steps to be blessed by priests. Into the evening, lanterns are lit around the grounds.
The festival's origin lies in a legend about a man who insulted the gods and was punished by being stranded on a mountain crag. After repenting, the high priest of Kinpusen-ji Temple took pity on him and turned him into a frog so he could descend. The man made his way to the temple, expressed his regret and was restored to human form through prayer. During the festival, local men carry the "frog" to the temple on a platform where upon the frog reenacts his journey three times, accompanied by the chants of priests and Shugendo practitioners. The festival symbolizes a competition among Shugendo practitioners to showcase their spiritual prowess.
From the official Kinpusen-ji Temple Youtube channel
4. Lotus Harvesting, Yamatotakada
Date: Mon. 07
Entry: Free
Time: 10:00
Location: 470 Okuda, Yamatotakada, Nara
Transport: A 25-min-walk south of Kintetsu Ukiana Station
The sacred Okuda Lotus Lake in Yamatotakada forms part of the annual Renge Kai Kaerutobi festival where lotuses are harvested on the day of the festival. The lotus harvesting starts at 10:00 in the morning. At noon, there is a goma or fire ceremony at the nearby Benten Shrine. You can view the pond at any other time as well.
5. Kamotsuba-jinja Shrine Lantern Festival
Date: Wed. 16
Entry: Free
Time: 20:00
Location: 513 Miyamae, Gose
Transport: 10-min-walk from Kintetsu or JR Gose Station
At the Kamotsuba Lantern Festival, three-tier lantern towers measuring some 2.5 meters are paraded through the Gose town to the Kamotsuba-jinja Shrine. There are 30 such ‘Susuki’ lanterns which are donated by local patrons to pray for regional prosperity and bountiful harvests. This boisterous lantern festival is typically accompanied by taiko drumming and flutes and is the largest of its type in Nara.
6. Tawaramoto Town Summer ‘Gion’ Festival
Date: Sat. 19 / Sun. 20
Entry: Free
Time: 16:00 to 20:00
Location: Tawaramoto-cho, Shiki-gun, Nara
Transport: Kintetsu Tawaramoto Station
For a bustling local festival with lots of food stalls and activities, then you may want to head out to Tawaramoto Town for their Summer Gion Festival. There is usually a parade, stage events, a karaoke competition, and other activities. The festival will take place at various locations around the town. Tawaramoto is home to Japan’s oldest soy sauce factory, which has now been revived and partly refurbished into a boutique accommodation.
7. Nosegawa Festival and Fireworks
Date: Sat. 26
Entry: Free
Time: 16:30 to 20:30
Location: Taira no Tomomori Historical Village, Oaza Hei 51, Nosegawa
Transport: Private vehicle
Nosegawa Village, in the southwest corner of Nara Prefecture, is Japan’s smallest village, with a population of only 400 people. Their summer Taira Koremori Festival includes activities such as Shinto ceremonies, taiko drumming, lantern light-ups, performances, and fireworks.
The fireworks, numbering around 3000, will start at 20:00 and is one of the three most popular in Nara Prefecture. The equally popular Yoshinogawa Fireworks held in Gojo City happens next month in mid-August.
A stay over in Nosegawa can make for a perfect break exploring part of the Kumano Kodo Trail, witnessing Nosegawa’s ‘sea of clouds’, or learning about fish farming, wasabi growing, mushroom picking and more.
8. Onpara Festival at Tsunakoshi-jinja Shrine, Miwa
Date: Thurs. 31
Entry: Free
Time: 10:00
Location: 135 Nishinomiya, Sakurai, Nara 633-0066
Transport: 15-min-walk from JR Miwa
The Onpara festival is held annually on July 31 at Tsunakoshi-jinja Shrine, a sub-shrine of the Omiwa-jinjya Shrine. It celebrates good health through the summer months and activities include elaborate ceremonies, traditional dance performances, a horse processions, and you get to walk through a grass loop that will take you into the summer. A summer fireworks display is usually held at the end.
9. Wind Chimes at Ofusa Kannon Temple
Date: July 01 to Sept. 30
Entry: 300 yen
Time: 07:00 to 17:00
Location: 6-22 Kobocho, Kashihara City
Transport: Bus or taxi or walk from Yamato Yagi Station
Ofusa Kannon Temple, well-loved for its traditional Japanese garden, historic tea house, and its roses in May has a display of over 2 500 wind chines catching the summer breeze. You will find traditional wind chimes from all over Japan, and there are also special night viewings of wind chines attached to ‘floating lanterns’. The summer night viewing schedule is July 17th and 18th from 18:00 to 21:00.
10. Lotus Flowers and the Nara Lotus Road
Lotus flowers, a key symbol of the Buddhist religion, are showcased at various sites and temples around Nara Prefecture. Some locations have actual lotus ponds, while at other places the lotuses are grown in large urns or vases.
1. Hokke-ji Temple: Hokke-ji has a stunning lotus pond and lotus urns. It’s about a 25-min-walk from Kintetsu Shin-omiya Station, but it’s better to catch a No.13 bus from Kintetsu Nara Station in the hot weather.
2. Ruins of the Fujiwara Palace Site: This expansive park and recreational area has a large lotus pond field, and yellow cosmos fields bloom from around mid-July. The closest station is Kintetsu Unebigoryo-Mae—about 30 minutes on foot. From the lotus pond, it is a 25-min-walk to Ofusa Kannon Temple. You could take a late afternoon trip to the palace site, followed by a dusk walk to Ofusa on the 17th or 18th for wind chime night viewing.
3. Jurin-in Temple: If you’re just hanging around in Nara Machi old town, Jurin-in Temple has a nice garden, including a small lotus pond. It’s a 4-min-walk from the Harushika Sake Store.
Or, Follow the Nara Lotus Road
The Lotus Road (read our detailed article) is a series of four historic temples that are popular for lotus flowers in the summer. These temples run from Yamato-Saidaiji along the Kintetsu Kashihara Line covering the Nishi-Nokyo area. Most of the lotuses are in urns rather than in a lotus pond.
Saidai-ji Temple
Kiko-ji Temple
Toshodai-ji Temple
Yakushi-ji Temple
Saidai-ji Temple is just s short walk south of Yamato-Saidaiji Station. Kiko-ji is about a 12-min-walk from Amagatsuji Station (one stop from Saidaiji). Returning to Amagatsuji Station, the best option for the hot weather is to go to Nishinokyo Station with Yakushi-ji nearby, and then it’s a 10-min-walk to Toshodai-ji. From there you can take a bus back to Kintetsu or JR Nara Station.
What’s on in Nara! - Music and The Arts, July 2025
This month, a gorgeous Samurai armor exhibition opens and music events range from Samba, to brass bands, classical, jazz and pops. Concert seating is usually 30 min before the start, and for exhibitions, last entry is 30 min before closing.
05/03‒07/13: Atsuyuki Uemura Memorial Exhibition, famed Japanese painter of esp. birds, Shouhaku Art Museum, 10:00‒17:00, 820 yen.
05/31‒07/06: 100th Anniversary Nakamura Masayoshi, renowned Japanese modernist, Nara Prefectural Museum of Art, 09:00-17:00, 1200 yen.
07/05‒09/07: Japanese Gorgeous Armors, exhibition of Samurai outfits, Kasugataisha Museum, 10:00-17:00, 1500yen
07/13: Ikaruga Wind Festival, local brass bands from youngsters to adults, Ikaruga Large Hall, 13:30-16:00, 500 yen.
07/13: Jazz & Pops Live, vocals, guitar and piano trio, BlueNote Naramachi, 16:00-19:00, 2500 yen.
07/19: Hideki Kato Quintet, seasoned Jazz quintet, BlueNote Naramachi, 16:00-19:00, 2000 yen.
07/20: Matsuken Samba Concert 2025, famed Japanese Samba performer, Nara 100th Anniversary Hall, 14:00 /18:00 sessions, from 7000 yen, reservation only.
07/20: Tenri Symphony No. 9 Choir Concert, Haydn's Oratorio "The Four Seasons", DMG MORI Yamato Koriyama Castle Hall, 14:30-17:10, 2500 yen.
07/26: Shimizi Aya Invasion Tour 2025, enka, pop, & Western hits, Nara 100th Anniversary Hall, 13:00/17:00 sessions, from 6500 yen, reservation only.
Things To Do In Nara
Author: NARA Visitor Center & Inn
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