Summer may be scorching hot, but it is the time when cities and town come to life, with Japanese locals showcasing their exuberance, energy and elegance. Many kinds of summer matsuri (festivals) abound, leaving travellers truly spoilt for choice. So here are 4 different kinds of matsuri that you should know.

Awa Odori in Tokushima exemplifies the best of dance festivals. Watch Tokushima natives dance as one to the 400-year-old "Fool's Dance". Seeing how they keep up their spirited dance while playing traditional musical instruments is bound to give you lotsa energy!

In summer, hanabi (fireworks) explode and illuminate the night sky, wowing audiences with their breathtaking array of colors. Oomagari no Hanabi All Japan Fireworks Competition in Akita Prefecture distinguishes itself from other fireworks festivals as it is held against a picturesque backdrop of two mountains and a riverfront.

Japan also has many float festivals that reveal Japanese people's creativity in making elaborately decorated floats. The Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival in Fukuoka takes float admiring up a notch as visitors can watch tall, burly men race to drag their humongous neighborhood float around a course in the shortest time possible. With physicality and artistry in display, what else can one ask for?

Star Festival or Tanabata is based on a folk tale about the Weaver Girl and the Cowherd that is celebrated nationwide. In Sendai City, the locals go all out to make huge and long paper streamers and hang them from bamboo poles so as to decorate their shopping arcades. These streamers are said to be the threads of a loom and will mesmerise you into awe-struck silence!