Kamakura Matsuri (2013)

With cherry blossom season out of the way, Kamakura will be bracing itself for another influx of visitors this month, as Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine holds its annual spring festival. The Kamakura Matsuri centres around the second and third Sundays of April: head there on April 14 to watch a parade along the avenue running up to the shrine (11am start), followed in the afternoon by a performance of Shizuka no Mai, a reenactment of a well-known episode from 12th century Japan (3pm start). If that isn't dramatic enough for you, head back on April 21 to see a yabusame (horseback archery) contest, held in the precincts of the shrine itself (1pm start).