LanguagesFreePrintable

Japanese Cultural Events Worksheet

A free languages worksheet ready for your classroom. Open in Kuraplan to grab the print-ready PDF, customize it for your students, or generate a fresh version in seconds.

Download now

Name:Date:

Japanese Cultural Events Worksheet

Read the information about Japanese cultural events, then complete the activities. Use the Japanese words and clues in the passage to support your answers.

Read: Events through the year

Japanese cultural events can connect people with the seasons, local communities and long-standing customs. A matsuri (祭り) is a community celebration. Many matsuri are connected with a local shrine, although festivals can have different origins and practices. They may include music, dancing, food stalls and processions. In spring, people enjoy hanami (花見), which means “flower viewing”. Friends and families often gather beneath cherry trees to appreciate the blossoms. Hanami is a seasonal custom, not one single national festival. On 7 July, Tanabata (七夕) is celebrated in many places. A well-known custom is writing a wish on a small paper strip called a tanzaku and hanging it on bamboo. Customs and event dates can vary by region. In August, some communities hold Obon (お盆), a time for remembering and honouring deceased family members. Traditions differ across Japan. Some communities hold Bon Odori dances as part of Obon. At events, people may wear yukata (浴衣), a light informal summer garment. These examples show how events can bring people together while expressing different local traditions.

Understand and use the information

Answer using the passage. For Japanese words, copy the spelling carefully.

1.What does matsuri (祭り) mean?

A festival
A paper wish
A spring flower
A summer garment

2.Match each event or word with its description.

Hanami
Tanabata
Obon
Yukata

Remembering and honouring deceased family members
Enjoying and appreciating flowers
Writing a wish on a tanzaku
A light, informal summer garment

3.Which event is associated in the passage with viewing cherry blossoms?

4.True or false: Tanabata is celebrated in exactly the same way and on the same date in every part of Japan.

TrueFalse

5.Complete the sentence using words from the passage: On Tanabata, people may write a wish on a paper strip called a and hang it on .

6.Give two activities that may be part of a matsuri.

7.In the passage, what does hanami literally mean?

8.Why might a matsuri be important to a local community? Give one idea supported by the passage.

9.Write one similarity between a Japanese event in the passage and an Australian community event you know. Explain the similarity in a complete sentence.