Taking place at 1,900-year-old Atsuta-jingu Shrine , the Atsuta Festival in early June signals the coming of summer. The festival really comes to life with all the dances, drum performances, the lanterns of the Kento Makiwara floats, and the seasonal cotton kimono worn by festival visitors.

The festival is held at Atsuta Shrine , a five-minute walk from Jingu-Mae Station on the Meitetsu Line, or a 12-minute walk from Atsuta Station on the JR Tokaido Line.

Atsuta-jingu Shrine is the preeminent Shinto shrine in the Chubu region. Every June 5 it holds the Atsuta Festival. Ornately carved portable shrines are carried through the cedar groves, trailed by festival-goers, including children, in headbands and traditional happi jackets.

Throughout the day you can enjoy a variety of traditional Japanese art forms. With taiko drumming, archery, sumo and kendo, you get a great opportunity to experience Japanese cultural traditions firsthand.

A must-see event is the Atsuta Kagura, a traditional dance with flutes and drums that has been performed here for almost 1,800 years, and is unique to this shrine.

At night, the grounds are filled with locals dressed in elegant cotton kimono. Wander the pathways sampling the delicious festival food.

As the sun sets, the 1,000-year-old cedar groves are aglow with the 365 lanterns of the Kento Makiwara floats. As the festival draws to a close, fireworks burst overhead from Jingu Koen, lighting up the early summer sky.