Every event and festival in Japan in 2027, month by month — dates, venues and tickets, before they happen.
OfficialUpcoming© Hyppolyte de Saint-Rambert · CC BY 4.0Around a million people pack Osaka's Imamiya Ebisu Shrine over January 9-11 to pray to 'Ebessan', the god of business prosperity - collecting a lucky fukuzasa bamboo branch from kimono-clad 'fuku-musume' maidens to the chant 'come with your bamboo for a thriving business'.
2027/01/09 09:00 OsakaFree
OfficialUpcoming© Ogata Kōrin · Public domainFamous as Japan's earliest-blooming plum grove, Atami Bairin opens its winter ume from early January with taiko, geisha dances and hot-spring charm.
2027/01/09 09:00 Across JapanModest garden admission during the festival (recent years a few hundred yen).
OfficialUpcoming© Creazilla · CC0**The Grand Sumo Hatsu Basho 2027 runs January 10–24, 2027 at Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo** — the New Year tournament that opens the sumo calendar. It runs 15 straight days (Sun→Sun); **tickets are required** (buy via the official English site). Arrive by ~14:00–15:00 for the top-division bouts, which always finish by ~18:00.
2027/01/10 08:00 TokyoTickets required (no free entry). Prices vary by day and seat tier; 2027 prices are released with the tournament — confirm on sumo.or.jp. As a rough guide (approximate 2026 prices, as of July 2026): ringside tamari-seki ~¥20,000/person; masu-seki tatami boxes ~¥9,000–15,000/person by tier and day; Western chair seats from ~¥3,500 (tier C, weekday) up to ~¥11,000+ (SS). On-sale is typically 5–8 weeks before — check the official site for the exact 2027 date.
OfficialUpcoming© Vincent van Gogh · Public domainJapan's wildest custom-car show, where 300,000 fans crowd in for tuned machines, concept builds and motorsport glamour.
2027/01/15 09:00 TokyoAdvance digital ticket only, around ¥3,000 (weekend day); preschoolers free with an adult.
OfficialUpcoming© Midori (Wikimedia user) · CC BY-SA 3.0One of Japan's three great fire festivals: villagers defend a giant wooden shrine with blazing torches as attackers try to set it alight in a wild snowbound battle.
2027/01/15 19:00 Across JapanFree
OfficialUpcoming© Midori (Wikimedia user) · CC BY-SA 3.0In a Daisetsuzan gorge, ice domes and towers fill a riverside field, lit nightly in shifting colors with weekend fireworks over the snow.
2027/01/23 13:00 Across JapanCooperation fee around ¥500 (junior-high+); free for younger children.
OfficialUpcoming© Yoyogimura · CC BY-SA 4.0**Kobe Luminarie 2027 runs Jan 29 (Fri) – Feb 7 (Sun), 2027** — the 32nd edition. You can see the light arches **free from the surrounding streets**; the special **paid zones at Meriken Park** need a ticket (advance ¥500 weekday / ¥750 weekend, as of July 2026). All three venues are walkable from Sannomiya Station.
2027/01/29 18:00 Across JapanFree
OfficialUpcoming© Inlet Masu · CC BY-SA 3.0Sculptors spray the clear blue waters of Lake Shikotsu onto frames to build towering turquoise ice domes and tunnels, glowing in jewel tones after dark.
2027/01/30 10:00 SapporoDonation around ¥500 (high-school age+); free for younger children.
OfficialUpcoming© Jean-Pierre Dalbéra · CC BY 2.0Kyoto's most famous Setsubun rite, where a masked exorcist drives off blue, red and yellow demons in an ancient court ceremony, ringed by 800 food stalls.
2027/02/02 18:00 KyotoFree
OfficialUpcoming© Midori (Wikimedia user) · CC BY-SA 3.0Sumo wrestlers and celebrity 'lucky men' hurl tonnes of beans from Naritasan's great hall, where the chant is only 'fortune in' — no demons to expel.
2027/02/03 11:00 Across JapanFree
OfficialUpcoming© Senior Chief Petty Officer Ryan Delcore (U.S. Navy) · Public domainSapporo Snow Festival 2027: confirmed Feb 4–11 dates, the three free sites (Odori, Susukino, Tsudome), and how to get there from New Chitose Airport.
2027/02/04 10:00 SapporoFree
OfficialUpcoming© 京浜にけ · CC BY 3.0Hokkaido's second-biggest snow fest pairs colossal stage-sized snow sculptures by the Ishikari River with an international ice-carving championship.
2027/02/05 09:00 SapporoFree
OfficialUpcoming© Cobalt Fox · Public DomainNagasaki Lantern Festival 2027's official dates: Feb 5–21 (17 days), free to view. ~15,000 red Chinese lanterns and giant zodiac lantern objects light central Nagasaki nightly from 17:00–22:00, with a daily dragon dance and parades.
2027/02/05 17:00 Across JapanFree
OfficialUpcoming© Kirin7739 · CC0Japan's earliest cherry blossoms: about 850 vivid pink Kawazu-zakura line a 4km stretch of the Kawazu River in Izu, blooming a month before Tokyo's sakura.
2027/02/06 09:00 Across JapanFree
OfficialUpcoming© Satdeep Gill · CC BY-SA 4.0Western Japan's biggest international cooperation festival: NGO booths, world food stalls and global music fill the Umeda Sky Building, free to all.
2027/02/06 10:00 OsakaFree
OfficialUpcoming© 欅 (Keyaki) · CC BY-SA 3.0Otaru's historic canal and old rail line glow with thousands of hand-lit snow lanterns and floating candles for eight winter nights.
2027/02/06 17:00 SapporoFree
![Wonder Festival 2027 [Winter]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpub-0f4e7c05fe4645118224685565717085.r2.dev%2Fevent%2F16c304784892bf53.jpg&w=1280&q=75&dpl=dpl_FBuw3WExa8FeK9DjVthDMh37uYM7)
OfficialUpcoming© Albert C. Beckwith, Peter K. Graichen · CC0The world's biggest garage-kit and figure fair fills Makuhari Messe with thousands of hand-built model figures sold for one day only by amateur and pro sculptors.
2027/02/07 10:00 TokyoAdmission ticket required (~¥2,000–2,500); 'one-day license' allows licensed-figure sales.
OfficialUpcoming© Midori (Wikimedia user) · CC BY-SA 3.0Demon-masked 'namahage' brandishing torches stampede down a snowy mountainside at Shinzan Shrine in a fierce, firelit Oga winter spectacle.
2027/02/12 18:00 Across JapanFree
OfficialUpcoming© Etwas Neues · CC BY-SA 3.0Roughly 3,000 plum trees in over 60 varieties scent one of Japan's Three Great Gardens, drawing crowds for taiko, tea ceremony and geisha dances.
2027/02/13 08:00 Across JapanInner garden ~¥300 for non-residents; festival grounds largely free.
OfficialUpcoming© Rarisan · CC0Hundreds of candlelit snow igloos glow across Yokote while children inside invite passersby in for sweet sake — plus 4,000 mini-kamakura lighting the riverbed.
2027/02/15 18:00 Across JapanFree
OfficialUpcoming© Joe Mabel · CC BY-SA 3.0Every February 17-20, dozens of Enburi troupes dance through Hachinohe in tall black eboshi hats to summon an early spring and good harvest - a roughly 800-year-old rite tracing to the Kamakura era, now a national Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.
2027/02/17 07:00 Across JapanFree
OfficialUpcoming© Unknown authorUnknown author · Public domainThousands of loincloth-clad men pack a freezing temple hall at midnight, surging to seize two sacred shingi sticks flung into the throng — one of Japan's wildest rites.
2027/02/20 22:00 Across JapanFree
OfficialUpcoming© Jean-Pierre Dalbéra · CC BY 2.0Kyoto Marathon 2027 runs Feb 21, sending 16,000 runners past Kinkaku-ji, Ginkaku-ji and five more UNESCO sites before finishing at Heian-jingu Shrine.
2027/02/21 09:00 KyotoMarathon entry ¥18,500 (Kyoto residents) / ¥19,500 (other domestic) / ¥35,000 (overseas); pair-ekiden ¥34,000/pair; wheelchair race ¥3,000. Spectating is free.
OfficialUpcoming© Type specimen · CC BY-SA 3.0Osaka Marathon 2027 is set for Sunday, 28 February 2027. Entry is confirmed and open: the general field runs 28 July - 28 August 2026 (lottery, cap 28,420). Here's what's confirmed, how the lottery works, the ¥16,000 fee and the Osaka Castle finish.
2027/02/28 09:00 OsakaPaid, lottery entry; the full-marathon fee is around ¥16,000 (spectating is free).
OfficialUpcoming© 掬茶 · CC BY-SA 3.0On March 3 across Japan, families display tiered hina dolls of the Heian court to wish for girls' health, amid peach blossoms and sweet hishi-mochi.
2027/03/03 Across JapanFree
OfficialUpcoming© nakashi from Chofu, Tokyo, JAPAN · CC BY-SA 2.0Tokyo Marathon 2027 runs March 7: entry fee, the Aug 14–28 lottery window, the course, and how overseas runners enter via lottery, charity, or tour packages.
2027/03/07 09:10 TokyoFree
OfficialUpcoming© Dietmar Rabich · CC BY-SA 4.0Japan's leading art fair, spanning antiques to cutting-edge contemporary across 150-plus galleries in the heart of Marunouchi.
2027/03/12 11:00 TokyoPaid admission ticket (around ¥3,000 in recent editions); the day before public opening is an invitation-only preview.
OfficialUpcoming© No machine-readable author provided. Peter 111 assumed (based on copyright claim · CC BY-SA 3.0**The 2027 Grand Sumo Haru Basho (Spring Tournament) runs March 14–28, 2027 at EDION Arena Osaka (Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium), about a 5-minute walk from Namba.** It is the only one of the six annual tournaments held in Osaka — 15 straight days of top-division sumo, Sunday to Sunday.
2027/03/14 08:30 OsakaApproximate 2026 prices; 2027 prices are released with each tournament — confirm on sumo.or.jp (as of July 2026). Rough per-person ranges: ringside tamari-seki around ¥20,000; masu-seki tatami boxes around ¥9,000–15,000 by tier and day; Western chair seats from about ¥3,500 (tier C, weekday) up to ¥11,000+ (SS). A limited number of same-day chair seats (tojitsu-ken) are sold at the box office each morning, first-come, if seats remain.
OfficialUpcoming© Chris 73 · CC BY-SA 3.0The world's largest women-only marathon, where every finisher is handed a Baccarat crystal tumbler by a tuxedoed attendant at the Nagoya Dome.
2027/03/14 09:10 NagoyaPaid, lottery entry (spectating is free).
OfficialUpcoming© Manish Prabhune · CC BY 2.0A 700m 'sakura tunnel' of 260-plus cherry trees arches over the Imperial Palace moat, best seen by rowboat or under evening illumination.
2027/03/25 TokyoFree
OfficialUpcoming© Pksois23 · CC0F1 returns to legendary Suzuka — the figure-eight circuit drivers and fans rate among the greatest in the world.
2027/03/26 09:00 NagoyaThree-day tickets vary by grandstand; general admission is the most affordable
OfficialUpcoming© Seattleite7 · CC BY-SA 4.0Over 1,000 cherry trees frame the brilliant white 'White Heron' castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site, in one of Japan's most picture-perfect hanami scenes.
2027/03/27 OsakaFree
OfficialUpcoming© Tawashi2006 · CC BY 2.1 jpAround 30,000 cherry trees in 200 varieties blanket a sacred mountainside, blooming in waves up four zones from Shimo to Oku Senbon.
2027/03/27 NaraFree
OfficialUpcoming© Jack145945 · CC BY-SA 4.0The world's largest anime expo leaves Tokyo for the first time and brings its public days to Intex Osaka.
2027/03/27 10:00 OsakaPaid admission; ticket prices for the 2027 Osaka edition to be announced on the official site.
OfficialUpcoming© Midori (Wikimedia user) · CC BY-SA 3.0Japan's hot-spring capital throws its biggest party of the year — a fire festival on Mount Ogi, free baths across the city and a mikoshi parade thanking the springs.
2027/04/01 11:00 Across JapanFree
OfficialUpcoming© 江戸村のとくぞう (Edomura no Tokuzo) · CC BY-SA 4.0Kofu's streets fill with roughly 1,500 armour-clad marchers and around 30 horses re-enacting the Koshu army's departure for battle - a Guinness World Record 'largest gathering of people dressed as samurai,' held on the first weekend of April.
2027/04/02 12:00 Across JapanFree
OfficialUpcoming© Chris 73 · CC BY-SA 3.0Thirteen three-tiered floats with karakuri puppets parade below Inuyama Castle, glowing with lanterns under the cherry blossoms.
2027/04/03 09:00 NagoyaFree
OfficialUpcoming© Kakidai · CC BY-SA 4.0A major indoor EDM festival (past headliners include Swedish House Mafia and Marshmello), confirmed for April 2027 at Saitama Super Arena.
2027/04/03 11:00 TokyoTickets & lineup TBA on the official site
OfficialUpcoming© Qiuqizhenghong · CC BY-SA 3.0One of Japan's earliest big fireworks of the year — around 10,000 shells choreographed to live music over the East China Sea off Ginowan.
2027/04/10 18:30 OkinawaTicketed reserved seating in tiers; a free viewing area is also available. Exact 2027 date confirmed in winter.
OfficialUpcoming© z tanuki · CC BY 3.0Twelve ornate Edo-era yatai floats with karakuri puppets parade through old Takayama, glowing with around 100 lanterns each at the night festival.
2027/04/14 09:00 NagoyaFree
OfficialUpcoming© Volfgang · CC BY-SA 3.0Founded by footballer Hidetoshi Nakata, this open-air festival pours around 130 regional breweries' sake in the heart of Roppongi each spring.
2027/04/16 11:00 TokyoPaid: a starter set buys a glass plus tasting tokens; extra tokens sold on site.
OfficialUpcoming© Volfgang · CC BY-SA 3.0Tokyo's biggest environmental festival fills Yoyogi Park with eco-food stalls, live music and 300+ booths — zero-waste, English-friendly and free to wander.
2027/04/17 10:00 TokyoFree
OfficialUpcoming© Jean-Pierre Dalbéra · CC BY 2.0KYOTOGRAPHIE 2027 (Apr 17–May 16): Kyoto's international photography festival shows world-class work in temples and machiya across the city. Confirmed dates, venues, Passport tickets.
2027/04/17 10:00 KyotoPer-venue tickets or an all-venue Passport; some programs are free.
OfficialUpcoming© teru · Public domainOn the night of April 19, hundreds of near-naked men carry a giant drum on a tall wooden tower through Hida-Furukawa while rival neighborhood teams charge in to plant their small drums against it - the wild Okoshi-daiko, heart of a UNESCO-listed festival that also parades nine ornate floats on the 20th.
2027/04/19 09:00 Across JapanFree
OfficialUpcoming© 掬茶 · CC BY-SA 4.0Around 2,600 cherry trees encircle Hirosaki Castle's moats, famous for petal-carpeted 'flower rafts' and dazzling nighttime illuminations.
2027/04/23 09:00 Across JapanFree
OfficialUpcoming© 要塞騎士 · CC0A beloved open-air house & techno festival held over Golden Week on a hilltop in Higashi-Izu (next edition dates TBA).
2027/05/01 10:00 Across JapanMulti-tier passes plus camping/parking (see official site)
OfficialUpcoming© Jovandavid · Public DomainThree 12-metre, 20-ton wooden floats — among Japan's largest — are hauled through Nanao's narrow streets.
2027/05/03 09:00 KanazawaFree
OfficialUpcoming© Midori (Wikimedia user) · CC BY-SA 3.0Giant kites duel over the Nakatajima dunes by day; by night, illuminated palace-style floats and brass bands fill downtown Hamamatsu.
2027/05/03 10:00 Across JapanFree
OfficialUpcoming© フェレス · CC BY-SA 2.1 jpOne of Japan's biggest festivals: around 2 million people watch 750-plus troupes parade with shamoji clappers, flower floats and stage shows over May 3–4.
2027/05/03 10:00 FukuokaFree
OfficialUpcoming© Gregg Tavares · CC BY 2.0**The Grand Sumo Natsu Basho (Summer Tournament) runs May 9–23, 2027 at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo** — a 15-day honbasho, Sunday to Sunday, and one of only three Tokyo tournaments each year. Tickets sell via the official English site sumo.or.jp/EnTicket; arrive around 14:00–15:00 for the top division (the day ends by ~18:00).
2027/05/09 08:30 TokyoTickets required. Arena chair seats start from around ¥3,000; box (masu) seats and ringside cost more. Purchase via the official Japan Sumo Association ticket site.
OfficialUpcoming© Jose Fernando from Tokyo, Japan · CC BY-SA 2.0One of Japan's three great festivals returns in full force: mikoshi processions fill Kanda, Nihonbashi and Akihabara in this 2027 honmatsuri year.
2027/05/15 08:00 TokyoFree
OfficialUpcoming© Oilstreet · CC BY 2.5A two-stage open-air house/techno/bass festival with camping in the Kyoto countryside (next edition dates TBA).
2027/05/15 10:00 KyotoAdvance standing ~¥9,000–10,000; group packs; camping/parking extra
OfficialUpcoming© Marie-Sophie Mejan · CC BY 4.0A 1,400-year-old imperial procession of 500 people in Heian-era robes winds 8km through Kyoto, oxen and ox-carts adorned with hollyhock leaves.
2027/05/15 10:30 KyotoFree
OfficialUpcoming© Jason Riedy · CC BY 2.0Osaka's Den Den Town shuts its main street for one of Japan's largest cosplay parades, where thousands of costumed fans flood the otaku district.
2027/05/16 11:00 OsakaFree
OfficialUpcoming© Ray in Manila · CC BY 2.0Nikko Toshogu's Spring Grand Festival returns May 17-18, 2027: yabusame archery and a 1,200-person samurai procession reenacting Ieyasu's journey to Nikko.
2027/05/17 09:00 TokyoFree
OfficialUpcoming© Jonathan Mercieca · CC BY-SA 4.0One of Hokuriku's three great festivals: six towering 6-metre warrior floats crowned with giant musha-ningyo figures are hauled through old port-town streets.
2027/05/19 08:00 KanazawaFree
OfficialUpcoming© Qiuqizhenghong · CC BY-SA 3.0Some 400 lilac trees burst into bloom in Odori Park, with a lilac wine garden and outdoor music marking the start of the northern spring.
2027/05/19 10:00 SapporoFree
OfficialUpcoming© Jean-Pierre Dalbéra · CC BY 2.0Japan's largest indie game festival fills Kyoto's Miyako Messe with playable booths from developers worldwide.
2027/05/21 10:00 KyotoTicketed (around ¥2,000+ per day, 2026 reference); Day 1 is business-only.
OfficialUpcoming© Guilhem Vellut from Annecy, France · CC BY 2.0Asakusa's wildest weekend returns in 2027: roughly 100 mikoshi and two million visitors expected to pack the streets around Senso-ji and Asakusa Shrine.
2027/05/21 11:00 TokyoFree
OfficialUpcoming© Hajime NAKANO · CC BY 2.0Hundreds of riders in full samurai armour thunder across Fukushima's coast for armoured horse races and a wild scramble to catch sacred flags shot into the sky.
2027/05/29 09:00 Across JapanThe main-day grounds (Hibarigahara) are ticketed for grandstand seating; street processions are free to watch. Exact 2027 dates (last weekend of May) confirmed in advance.
OfficialUpcoming© Z3144228 · CC BY-SA 4.0Kanazawa's grandest festival reenacts feudal lord Maeda Toshiie's triumphant entry into the castle, with a costumed warrior procession, tea ceremonies and lantern-lit dances.
2027/06/04 09:00 KanazawaFree
OfficialUpcoming© Ogiyoshisan · Public domainOsaka's Aizen Matsuri (fixed every Jun 30–Jul 2) just wrapped its 2026 run — here's what happened, and the reliable placeholder for 2027.
2027/06/30 10:00 OsakaFree
OfficialUpcoming© elmimmo · CC BY 2.0**The 2027 Grand Sumo Nagoya Basho runs July 11–25, 2027 at IG Arena (IGアリーナ), Nagoya's new arena that opened in July 2025.** It's a 15-day tournament; the top-division bouts run each afternoon and always finish by about 6:00pm. Tickets go on sale roughly 5–8 weeks ahead via the official English site.
2027/07/11 08:00 NagoyaPaid, ticketed. Prices are set per tournament; 2027 figures are released with the Nagoya basho. For scale (approximate 2026 prices, as of July 2026): ringside tamari-seki around ¥20,000 per person; masu-seki tatami boxes about ¥9,000–15,000 per person by tier and day; chair (isu-seki) seats from about ¥3,500 (tier C, weekday) up to ¥11,000+ (SS). Confirm the exact 2027 prices on sumo.or.jp.
OfficialUpcoming© 8-Forest · CC BY-SA 4.0For five days every July 31-August 4, 27 towering, gold-leafed floats and three shrines' mikoshi processions fill Hachinohe's streets - a 300-year-old harvest-thanksgiving festival and UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage that draws over a million visitors.
2027/07/31 18:00 Across JapanFree
