Hana Matsuri in Japan
Hana Matsuri in Japan is held on April 8. This event in the first decade of the month April is annual.
In Japan, Buddha's Birthday is referred to as Hanamatsuri which also means flower festival. This festival occurs on April 8th, and only Japan celebrates on this particular date. According to Buddhist tradition, Siddhartha Gautama was born in 563 BC to a royal family in the kingdom of Kapilavastu, located in present-day Nepal. To commemorate the celebrations, many Buddhist temples in Japan are decorated with flowers and the location of many HanaMatsuri festivities.
The Hana Matsuri celebration is a joyful and colorful event that takes place in Buddhist temples throughout Japan. The festival begins with a procession called “Shinno Kuruma Ningyo”, in which paper mache figures representing the imperial family, ministers and musicians are paraded through the streets.
The festival is also an opportunity for Buddhists to reflect on their own spiritual path and renew their commitment to following the teachings of Buddha.