Meaning
festival; celebration; shrine festival
Nuance & Usage
祭り (also written お祭り with the honorific お) refers to a traditional Japanese festival. Matsuri are deeply connected to Shinto shrines and seasonal rituals. Famous examples: 祇園祭 (Gion Matsuri, Kyoto), 阿波踊り (Awa Odori, Tokushima), 花火大会 (hanabi taikai — fireworks festivals). Common elements: 御神輿 (omikoshi — portable shrine), 屋台 (yatai — food stall), 浴衣 (yukata — summer kimono). Figuratively, 祭りのあと (after the festival) means the feeling of emptiness after excitement ends.
Common Mistakes
Don't confuse 祭り (matsuri — traditional Japanese festival, often Shinto-related) with イベント (event — modern events), フェスティバル (festival — Western-style music/arts festivals), or パーティー (party). The お prefix (お祭り) shows respect for the tradition and is commonly used in speech. The phrase 祭りのあと means the anticlimactic feeling after something exciting, which is a poetic cultural expression.
Example Sentences
夏祭りで浴衣を着て、花火を見ました。
なつまつりでゆかたをきて、はなびをみました。
I wore a yukata and watched fireworks at the summer festival.
地元の祭りには毎年欠かさず参加しています。
じもとのまつりにはまいとしかかさずさんかしています。
I participate in the local festival every year without fail.
日本のお祭りにはどんな食べ物がありますか？
にほんのおまつりにはどんなたべものがありますか？
What kinds of food are there at Japanese festivals?
Quick Quiz
N44 questionsTest your knowledge of 祭り with 4 different question types.
Want to practice this word?
Add to Fujiyama & Study with AI
Generate more example sentences, listen to native pronunciation, and review with SRS — all personalized to your JLPT level.