Japan is well known for its rich tradition as well as constant modernization live side by side and that is exactly the reason why so many tourists are drawn to this country. However, Japanese traditional culture is so very rich that it is really hard to summarize ant a lot of it is yet to be explored and become known to the average person. The same problem can be found with Japanese religion and festivals, which are called matsuri in Japanese. Even though Japan can be praised for its coexistence of modern and traditional, it is still questionable to what degree is the traditional stayed truly traditional. Matsuri have from ancient times been present as religious rite, however the attitude of Japanese people towards their own religion and customs has drastically changed. Also, with the anthropological changes, the changes are also present in tradition. So current sociological problems and events in Japan are largely influencing the form of religion and festivals. Therefore, in this paper it is strived to describe festivals, how they look today, but also the attitude of Japanese people towards them. It cannot be forgotten that festivals are the religious rites and that the change in them can mean the change in the religion itself.