Nagasaki Kunchi

Nagasaki Kunchi is the harvest festival of Suwa Shrine and a portrait of the city's history as Japan's one window on the world. Its dances, the hono-odori, are offered by the neighbourhoods of the old town on a seven-year rotation, so each year sees a different set: a Chinese dragon dance, a Dutch-inspired comedy, a whaling boat that spouts water, and the kasaboko, huge decorated parasols spun by a single man. The most thrilling are the ship floats, hauled in circles at speed to shouts of "mottekoi", the crowd's demand for an encore.

The festival runs from 7 to 9 October each year. The formal performances take place at Suwa Shrine and at the Otabisho in Ohato, Yasaka Shrine and Central Park, on ticketed stands that go on sale in June and sell out almost at once. The free way in is the niwasaki-mawari: on all three days the dance groups tour the city centre, performing shortened versions of their dances outside shops, offices and houses that have made offerings. Following them through the streets is how most Nagasaki residents see their own festival, and it costs nothing.

The venues are all within walking distance of the tram lines that run through the city centre. Nagasaki's hotels are full for the festival, so book early or consider a base in Isahaya or Sasebo. Expect a lively city fair around the shrine, with food stalls and crowds, and dances that reward staying in one place for a whole performance rather than hurrying between stages.