July: 10 things to Do in and around Nagano

Posted on 2026.06.29 in Events

Summer is a time of shrine festivals and fireworks festivals here in Japan. Unfortunately, July also brings the heat and humidity to Japan. Luckily, with its towering mountain landscapes and high elevation, Nagano is a bit protected from the intense heat you may experience in Tokyo, Kyoto, or Osaka. This makes Nagano a perfect place to enjoy Japanese summer traditions without feeling like you’re sitting in a sauna. Here is your complete guide to things to do in and around Nagano for the month of July.  

For a list of things closer to Matsumoto city, please see the article on our sister site, Matsumoto Experience, at this link.

 

1. The 523rd Annual Rain-making Festival in Ueda

This event dates back to the year 1504 during the Muromachi Period, when there was an extensive drought. The villagers in the area climbed to the top of the mountain to pray for rain. When the rains came, they enshrined a dragon god at the mountaintop and each household made offerings of woven cloth. The tradition has now continued for more than 500 years in Ueda City known for its castle. In an early morning ceremony (not open to the public) they offer woven cloth to the dragon god, then make their way down the mountain, dancing and carrying woven cloths stretched across bamboo poles. They then parade their way through the rest of the onsen town (free and open to the public).

  • Date: 12 July 2026
  • Time: 08:00 – 13:00
  • Location: Four locations within the Bessho Onsen area and Bessho Shrine (See website for details)
  • Website: https://ueda-kanko.or.jp/event/ 

 

2. Takehaya Shrine Gion Festival

This festival centers around the procession of a portable shrine through Komoro city near Takehaya Shrine. The main event is the procession itself, but there will also be other events held in the days surrounding the procession. On the day prior, there will be an evening festival with food vendors and the like, and the day after the event there will be a rope cutting ceremony in which the ropes used to mark the path of the procession will be taken down. 

 

3. Takemizuwake Shrine Summer Festival

800 years ago, a warrior named Minamoto no Yoshinaka, known as Asahi Shogun (General of the Rising Sun), prayed at Takemizuwake Shrine before a battle. Being victorious in battle, he returned to the shrine to make an offering of mochi rice cakes arranged on oak leaves to the gods, and held a festival to give thanks. Following this tradition, the villagers here continued the practice for the next 800 years, offering rice cakes to visitors at the annual festival. Please come and enjoy some rice cakes while reflecting on the legacy of Yoshinaka.

 

4. Shinshu Ueda Gion Festival

This exciting festival will have more than 60 portable shrines and over 3,000 participants! This festival is a great opportunity to see a typical, very large, Japanese festival. There will be all the things you would expect at a festival, including portable shrine processions and lots of food and drink vendors.

 

5. Suzaka Kattakata Festival

The Suzaka Kattakata Festival is a great example of a Japanese Odori Matsuri, or dance festival. This event will feature hundreds of people dancing in unison, a portable dragon shrine, and a parade performance by the fire brigade band. If you’d like to dance along you can learn the dance as well as see other event details at the official website below.

 

6. Nakano Gion Festival

This two-day affair will take place in Nagano City’s neighbor to the North, Nakano City. This festival will have everything, from live performances and portable shrine processions, to taiko drumming and dancing. There will of course be plenty of food and drink to be had, including a gathering of several food trucks from the local and surrounding areas. There will even be a horse-riding event!  If you’re near Nagano city the weekend of July 18th, be sure to check this one out.

 

  1. 7. The 102nd Lake Nojiri Fireworks Festival

More than 2,000 fireworks will light up the night sky! The fireworks can will also reflect off of the surface of the lake, making for a stunning atmosphere. There will even be underwater fireworks that make for a great visual effect. Please note the start time of the event is also the time the fireworks will start, so you may want to arrive early.

 

8. 55th Annual Wasshoi Festival

This is a festival will local groups such as neighborhood associations, companies, and school clubs will participate by singing, dancing, carrying portable shrines, and playing taiko drums, all while giving the shout of “Wasshoi!!”. You can learn the traditional local dance at the website below.

 

9. Hydrangeas in full bloom at Ajisai Temple Kogen-in

This temple is far from the beaten path, located in Iiyama City, approximately a 40 minute walk from the nearest train station. If you’re willing to make the trek, you will be rewarded with more than 10,000 blue, light pink, and purple hydrangeas growing in clusters on the approach to the temple. During this season they will be in full bloom.

  • Date: Late June – Early August
  • Location: Ajisai Temple Kogen-in, Iiyama City

 

10. Samurai Training and Matcha Experience

If you’d like to experience Japanese culture first-hand, but prefer something quitter and more private, we recommend trying a Samurai and Matcha experience at an authentic Japanese building in Nagano city. Here, you will learn the ways of the samurai and how to use a katana in English. After, you can enjoy a casual tea drinking experience with your Samurai. Bookings can be made at the link below.

 

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