OfficialOn now© Douggers · Public DomainA 1,300-year-old torchlit tradition: Gifu's Imperial cormorant masters work leashed birds on the Nagara River nightly, May 11-October 15, 2026.
Until Thu, Oct 15, 2026 20:30 JST Across JapanShared sightseeing boat (2026 rates): ¥4,200 adults / ¥2,100 children on regular days; ¥5,100 adults / ¥2,600 children on peak dates. Watching for free from the riverbank is also possible.
OfficialOn now© Chainwit. · CC BY-SA 4.0Japan's oldest kabuki theatre in Kyoto stages a modern crossover, fusing the world of kabuki with the famous anime master-thief Lupin III. A playful, fast-paced gateway into the art form, with English audio guides available.
Until Sat, Sep 26, 2026 20:30 JST KyotoTickets vary by seat class; check the official site. English audio guide available for rental.
OfficialOn now© Steve Cadman · CC BY-SA 2.0Aki Basho 2026 runs Sep 13–27 at Ryogoku Kokugikan. Tickets go on sale Aug 8 — seat prices and how overseas fans can book, explained.
Until Sun, Sep 27, 2026 18:00 JST TokyoTickets required. Arena chair seats start from around ¥3,000; traditional box (masu) seats and ringside cost more. Purchase through the official Japan Sumo Association site.
OfficialThis weekend© Nesnad · CC BY 4.0Japan's largest Indian festival fills Yoyogi Park with curry stalls, chai, sari shops, Bollywood dance and classical music — a two-day plunge into India in the heart of Tokyo.
Sat, Sep 26, 2026 10:00 JST TokyoFree
OfficialThis weekend© 663highland · CC BY 2.5Matsue's castle and canals glow with lanterns every weekend from Sept 26-Oct 18, 2026, 18:00-21:00 -- a quiet, romantic alternative to Japan's big-city illuminations.
Sat, Sep 26, 2026 18:00 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialUpcoming© そらみみ · CC BY-SA 4.0Around 100 fishing boats escort three deities' mikoshi across the sea at this World Heritage shrine's grand autumn festival.
Thu, Oct 1, 2026 09:00 JST FukuokaFree
OfficialUpcoming© Nihonmatsuri · CC BY 4.0Seven towering floats, each carrying 300+ glowing red lanterns, parade through Fukushima nights to the beat of taiko in one of Japan's three great lantern festivals.
Sat, Oct 3, 2026 18:00 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialUpcoming© Marine-Blue · CC BY-SA 3.0A 380-year-old shrine festival blending Japanese, Chinese and Dutch flair — spinning dragon dances, whirling umbrella floats and roaring 'Motte-koi' chants.
Wed, Oct 7, 2026 07:00 JST FukuokaFree
OfficialUpcoming© 663highland · CC BY-SA 3.0Marimo Festival 2026 runs 8–10 October at Lake Akan, Hokkaido. Every ceremony is free to watch: Ainu elders open with kamuinomi prayers, a torchlit parade winds along the lake on the second night, and on the final morning the marimo are carried by dugout canoe back into the water — a rite held every year since 1950 to protect a Special Natural Monument.
Thu, Oct 8, 2026 10:00 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialUpcoming© Henxter · CC BY-SA 4.0UNESCO-listed Belgian beer culture lands in front of Kyoto's Higashi-Honganji temple — dozens of imported brews, frites, waffles and live music in an open-air city festival.
Thu, Oct 8, 2026 12:00 JST KyotoFree
OfficialUpcoming© z tanuki · CC BY 3.0Eleven gilded Edo-era floats parade through old Takayama by day, then glow with 100+ lanterns at dusk in one of Japan's three most beautiful festivals.
Fri, Oct 9, 2026 09:00 JST NagoyaFree
OfficialUpcoming© katorisi · CC BY 3.0Fourteen giant wooden floats, each topped by a towering doll of a legendary hero, are hauled through the canal-side 'Little Edo' streets of Sawara to lilting Sawara-bayashi music every autumn - October 9-11 in 2026 - in one of the Kanto region's three great float festivals, just a day-trip from Tokyo.
Fri, Oct 9, 2026 10:00 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialUpcoming© Kanchi1979 · CC BY-SA 4.0Konpira-san's biggest festival (Oct 9-11, 2026): once a year the mountain deity 'comes down' -- a ~600-strong procession carries the mikoshi 2km through Kotohira by torchlight.
Fri, Oct 9, 2026 16:00 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialUpcoming© Jason M. C., Han · CC BY-SA 4.0World Festa Yokohama is a free food-and-culture fair at Yamashita Park - 50-plus world-cuisine stalls and stage acts. Yokohama listings put 2026 on 10-11 October; the organiser had not posted dates as of 4 Sep 2026.
Sat, Oct 10, 2026 10:00 JST YokohamaFree
OfficialUpcoming© Base64 · CC BY-SA 3.0Nagoya's biggest autumn party crowns Oda Nobunaga, Hideyoshi and Ieyasu in armor, leading a 600-strong procession from the station to Nagoya Castle.
Sat, Oct 10, 2026 10:00 JST NagoyaFree
OfficialUpcoming© OS6 · CC BY-SA 3.0Saijo Sake Festival 2026 runs October 10–11 in Hiroshima's sake capital — Japan's largest sake-tasting event. Confirmed dates, 2025 reference ticket price, and access below.
Sat, Oct 10, 2026 10:00 JST HiroshimaFestival free to enter; the 'Sake Plaza' tasting pass is paid
OfficialUpcoming© Okimoto · Public DomainJoin thousands pulling the world's largest straw rope through Naha in this Guinness-record Okinawan autumn festival.
Sun, Oct 11, 2026 11:00 JST OkinawaFree
OfficialUpcoming© Yuet Man Lee · CC BY-SA 4.0Tens of thousands grab a Guinness-record 200m rope and heave for 30 minutes in the middle of Naha's main road — Okinawa's most thunderous autumn spectacle.
Sun, Oct 11, 2026 14:30 JST OkinawaFree
OfficialUpcoming© Midori (Wikimedia user) · CC BY-SA 3.0Three portable shrines are violently crashed together as seven ornate floats clash in Japan's most famous 'fighting festival.'
Wed, Oct 14, 2026 10:00 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialUpcoming© Midori (Wikimedia user) · CC BY-SA 3.0Fifty-four golden, 5.5-metre taiko-dai floats are hoisted by 150-strong crews in one of Shikoku's three great festivals.
Fri, Oct 16, 2026 08:00 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialUpcoming© Subramaniam K V · CC BY 3.0Walk ancient moss-covered pilgrimage paths through the forested Kii Mountains to sacred Kumano shrines, a UNESCO World Heritage route.
Sat, Oct 17, 2026 08:00 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialUpcoming© 三塚 · CC BY-SA 4.0In Tokyo's 'Little Edo', towering tiered floats with revolving dolls roll past kurazukuri warehouses and clash in 'Hikkawase' flute-and-drum face-offs.
Sat, Oct 17, 2026 10:00 JST TokyoFree
OfficialUpcoming© Lance Cpl. David Hersey · Public domainJapan's biggest analog-game fair, where thousands of indie board, card and tabletop creators sell and demo their games over one weekend.
Sat, Oct 17, 2026 11:00 JST TokyoAround ¥1,500 advance / ¥2,000 same-day (2026 reference; autumn fees TBA); elementary schoolers and younger free.
OfficialUpcoming© Miyuki Meinaka · CC BY-SA 4.0Over 5 million LEDs transform the park into a glowing garden — a luminous wisteria tunnel, a great wisteria of light and reflective ponds rank it among Japan's top three illuminations.
Sat, Oct 17, 2026 15:30 JST TokyoEvening admission around ¥1,400 (varies by light stage).
OfficialUpcoming© Corpse Reviver · CC BY-SA 3.0A 2-km parade of 2,000 people in meticulously accurate costumes marches through 1,000 years of Kyoto history, from Heian nobles to Meiji revolutionaries.
Thu, Oct 22, 2026 12:00 JST KyotoFree
OfficialUpcoming© ja:User:Si-take. · CC BY-SA 3.0Men in loincloths haul flaming 80-kg torches through a mountain village after dark in one of Kyoto's wildest, most primal night festivals.
Thu, Oct 22, 2026 18:00 JST KyotoFree
OfficialUpcoming© そらみみ · CC BY-SA 4.0Hakata Okunchi 2026 (Oct 23–24) is Kushida Shrine's free autumn festival in Fukuoka — a 1,200-year harvest rite, famous for the Oct 24 ox-cart procession. Dates, schedule, access.
Fri, Oct 23, 2026 10:00 JST FukuokaFree
OfficialUpcoming© Midori (Wikimedia user) · CC BY-SA 3.0One of Japan's three great 'fighting' festivals, where teams ram a giant drum-float and mikoshi together to a thundering 'ton-ten-ton' beat.
Sat, Oct 24, 2026 10:00 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialUpcoming© Nicolas1981 · CC BY-SA 3.0An all-night art festival turns Roppongi into an open-air gallery, with installations, performances and museums glowing from dusk till dawn.
Sat, Oct 31, 2026 10:00 JST TokyoFree
OfficialUpcoming© Benh LIEU SONG · CC BY-SA 2.0No official 2026 Halloween announcement from Shibuya City yet (as of July 2026) — details usually land in early October. Confirmed now: a year-round street-drinking ban (6PM–5AM) has covered Shibuya Station since Oct 2024, and 2023–2025 saw escalating crowd-control measures.
Sat, Oct 31, 2026 18:00 JST TokyoFree
OfficialUpcoming© Dariusz Jemielniak · CC BY-SA 3.0Three costumed demons roam the streets of hillside Onomichi, tapping children with sticks to bring them good health.
Sun, Nov 1, 2026 09:00 JST HiroshimaFree
OfficialUpcoming© Joi (Joi Ito) · CC BY 2.0Kyoto's only autumn geisha dance, staged by the geiko and maiko of the Gion Higashi district. Ten days of elegant kyomai dance under lanterns, accompanied by live shamisen and song — a refined seasonal highlight of Kyoto.
Sun, Nov 1, 2026 13:30 JST Kyoto¥6,000 (viewing only); ¥7,000 with a tea ceremony. Two shows daily at 13:30 and 16:00.
OfficialUpcoming© Sanjo · CC BY-SA 4.0The original Kagoshima Ohara Matsuri (Nov 2–3, 2026) fills Tenmonkan with 16,500+ dancers — not to be confused with Tokyo's May Shibuya version.
Mon, Nov 2, 2026 18:50 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialUpcoming© Pekachu · CC BY-SA 4.0Fourteen colossal lacquered floats — golden lions, samurai helmets and dragons up to 7 m tall — are dragged through town and onto a beach where they sink in sand.
Mon, Nov 2, 2026 19:30 JST FukuokaFree
OfficialUpcoming© Yoshiyuki Ito · CC BY-SA 3.0At Tokyo's National Noh Theatre, watch the 650-year-old art of noh and its comic counterpart kyogen, including a piece performed by celebrated kyogen master Nomura Mansai. English subtitles appear on screens built into the seatbacks.
Fri, Nov 6, 2026 18:30 JST TokyoFront-stage ¥5,800 / Side-stage ¥4,000 (students ¥2,800) / Middle-stage ¥3,500 (students ¥2,500).
OfficialUpcoming© Qiuqizhenghong · CC BY-SA 3.0The Yaeyama Islands' biggest festival fills central Ishigaki with a citizens' parade, island music and a closing fireworks display over the harbour town.
Sat, Nov 7, 2026 OkinawaFree
OfficialUpcoming© Fuchu · CC BY-SA 4.0On November's rooster days, Asakusa's Otori Shrine fills with stalls selling glittering 'kumade' rakes meant to scoop up luck and fortune for the year ahead.
Sat, Nov 7, 2026 10:00 JST TokyoFree
OfficialUpcoming© TR15336300101 · CC BY-SA 4.0Nara's 2026 deer antler-cutting ceremony is held on November 7 (Sat) and 8 (Sun) at the Roen arena within Kasuga Taisha, 11:45-15:00 (doors 11:15, last entry 14:30). Same-day tickets only: adults ¥1,000, children ¥500.
Sat, Nov 7, 2026 11:45 JST NaraSame-day tickets only: adults (junior high and up) ¥1,000, children (elementary) ¥500
OfficialUpcoming© davidgsteadman · Public domainThe year's final grand sumo tournament fills Fukuoka Kokusai Center for 15 days of ring-entering ceremonies, salt-throwing and thunderous bouts of giants.
Sun, Nov 8, 2026 08:30 JST FukuokaFrom ~¥3,800 (arena seats) to box seats
OfficialUpcoming© C2revenge · CC BY-SA 4.0Every 10 November, Otonashi Shrine in Ito (Shizuoka) hosts a famously odd festival: a 'bottom sumo' contest where contestants bump hips to festival music. 2026: Tue 10 Nov, 18:30–21:00.
Tue, Nov 10, 2026 18:30 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialUpcoming© Ruben Ortega · CC BY-SA 4.0Japan's biggest Spanish festival brings giant paella pans, flamenco, sevillanas contests and Iberian wine to Yoyogi Park for two passionate autumn days.
Sat, Nov 14, 2026 10:00 JST TokyoFree
OfficialUpcoming© Volfgang · CC BY-SA 3.0Over 6 million LEDs blanket a mountainside amusement park — ride a panoramic chairlift through a sea of light with the Ferris wheel and rides glowing under the stars.
Sat, Nov 14, 2026 16:00 JST TokyoAdmission with illumination around ¥1,000–2,300 (varies; combo tickets available).
OfficialUpcoming© Suicasmo · CC BY-SA 4.0Kyoto's most celebrated maple temple glows after dark in autumn, its crimson leaves mirrored in a tranquil pond.
Sat, Nov 14, 2026 17:30 JST KyotoEvening light-up admission around 600-700 yen
OfficialUpcoming© Takeshi Kuboki · CC BY 2.0Kyoto's Arashiyama bursts into crimson and gold each November, with mountain temples, a scenic train and bamboo groves.
Sun, Nov 15, 2026 08:00 JST KyotoFree
OfficialUpcoming© senngokujidai4434 · CC BY 2.0Izumo Taisha's Kamiari-sai 2026 runs from the Kamimukae welcoming rite at 19:00 on Wednesday, November 18 to the Karasade send-off rite at 16:00 on Wednesday, November 25.
Wed, Nov 18, 2026 19:00 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialUpcoming© Kakidai · CC BY-SA 3.0Japan's largest German-style Christmas market: a glittering tree, wooden hutte stalls, mulled wine and bay-side lights by the historic red brick warehouses.
Sat, Nov 21, 2026 11:00 JST YokohamaPaid timed entry (around ¥500–1,000 — check official site).
OfficialUpcoming© David Stanley · CC BY 2.0From nightly hour-long showings at Takachiho Shrine to the free two-day, all-33-dance Yokagura Matsuri and month-long hamlet sessions each winter, Takachiho Yokagura is one of Kyushu's most accessible sacred night rituals -- a national Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property since 1978.
Sun, Nov 22, 2026 18:00 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialUpcoming© Suicasmo · CC BY-SA 4.0At one of Japan's top hot-spring towns, kimono-clad locals cool the scalding spring water with long wooden paddles in time to folk songs — a centuries-old daily ritual at Netsunoyu.
Tue, Dec 1, 2026 09:30 JST Across JapanAdults ¥700, elementary children ¥350
OfficialUpcoming© Katorisi · CC BY 4.0Chichibu Night Festival 2026 runs Dec 2 (Wed)–3 (Thu); the main night is Dec 3, when lantern-lit UNESCO floats are hauled up Dangozaka and winter fireworks fill the sky for about two hours. Free to attend; about 80 minutes from Ikebukuro — dates, venue and access below.
Wed, Dec 2, 2026 14:00 JST TokyoFree
OfficialUpcoming© Wikimedia Commons · Public domainSix lantern-lit floats are hauled up steep Dango-zaka as winter fireworks burst overhead — one of Japan's three great float festivals and a UNESCO heritage event.
Thu, Dec 3, 2026 18:00 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialUpcoming© Degueulasse · CC BY-SA 3.0A 890-year-old festival whose daytime parade marches costumes from the Heian through Edo eras through central Nara.
Tue, Dec 15, 2026 09:00 JST NaraFree
OfficialUpcoming© Taichi · CC BY-SA 3.0Winter Comiket returns to Tokyo Big Sight for a rare 3-day run, Dec 29-31, 2026 — the first 3-day winter edition since C95 in December 2018.
Tue, Dec 29, 2026 10:00 JST TokyoPaid wristband entry required for general visitors each day (exact price not yet announced). Circle (doujin seller) participation is by application, expected to open around August 2026.
OfficialUpcoming© Markus Leupold-Löwenthal · CC BY-SA 3.0Tokyo's official free countdown lights up the Metropolitan Government Building with giant projection mapping, live acts and a midnight cheer in Shinjuku.
Thu, Dec 31, 2026 22:00 JST TokyoFree
OfficialUpcoming© Saigen Jiro · CC0Some two million Osakans cross the arched Sorihashi bridge to greet the year at 'Sumiyossan,' head shrine of Japan's 2,300 Sumiyoshi shrines.
Thu, Dec 31, 2026 22:00 JST OsakaFree
OfficialUpcoming© Marianne North · Public domainSeventeen monks heave on ropes to toll Chion-in's 70-ton bell 108 times on New Year's Eve, each deep strike clearing a worldly desire.
Thu, Dec 31, 2026 22:30 JST KyotoPaid viewing — advance reservation required (from 2025)
OfficialUpcoming© Hyppolyte de Saint-Rambert · CC BY-SA 4.0Kyoto's head Inari shrine welcomes some 2.5 million New Year worshippers who pray for prosperity beneath endless tunnels of vermilion torii.
Thu, Dec 31, 2026 23:00 JST KyotoFree
OfficialUpcoming© Nightcrafter · CC BY-SA 4.0Roughly three million people stream through the towering torii to pray at Tokyo's grandest shrine in the first three days of the year.
Thu, Dec 31, 2026 23:00 JST TokyoFree
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'.
Sat, Jan 9, 2027 09:00 JST 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.
Sat, Jan 9, 2027 09:00 JST 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.
Sun, Jan 10, 2027 08:00 JST 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© 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.
Fri, Jan 15, 2027 19:00 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialUpcoming© Midori (Wikimedia user) · CC BY-SA 3.0The 52nd Sounkyo Onsen Ice Waterfall Festival runs 23 January to 7 March 2027 (official). In a Daisetsuzan gorge, ice domes and towers fill a riverside field, lit nightly in shifting colors with weekend fireworks over the snow.
Sat, Jan 23, 2027 Across JapanThe cooperation fee for 2027 (52nd edition) has not been announced as of 2026-09-18. For the 51st edition in 2026 it was ¥1,000, with the site open 17:00–21:30 on weekdays and 11:00–21:30 at weekends and on holidays (last entry 21:15).
OfficialUpcoming© Yoyogimura · CC BY-SA 4.0Kobe 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.
Fri, Jan 29, 2027 18:00 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialUpcoming© Inlet Masu · CC BY-SA 3.0The 2027 Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival runs 30 January to 23 February, open 10:00–20:00 (official). Sculptors spray the clear blue waters of Lake Shikotsu onto frames to build towering turquoise ice domes and tunnels, glowing in jewel tones after dark.
Sat, Jan 30, 2027 10:00 JST SapporoAdmission (cooperation fee): ¥1,000 for junior-high age and over on weekdays, ¥3,000 at weekends and on public holidays; free for elementary-school children and younger (official, as of 2026-09-18)
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.
Tue, Feb 2, 2027 18:00 JST 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.
Wed, Feb 3, 2027 11:00 JST 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.
Thu, Feb 4, 2027 10:00 JST 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.
Fri, Feb 5, 2027 17:00 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialUpcoming© 欅 (Keyaki) · CC BY-SA 3.0The 2027 edition runs 6–13 February (Otaru Tourism Association, announced 9 June 2026). Otaru's historic canal and old rail line glow with thousands of hand-lit snow lanterns and floating candles for eight winter nights.
Sat, Feb 6, 2027 SapporoFree
OfficialUpcoming© Kirin7739 · CC0Dates for the Kawazu Cherry Blossom Festival 2027 had not been announced as of September 18, 2026. The 2026 edition (the 36th) ran February 7 to March 8, a 3-minute walk from Kawazu Station in Izu.
Sat, Feb 6, 2027 09:00 JST 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.
Sat, Feb 6, 2027 10:00 JST OsakaFree
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.
Fri, Feb 12, 2027 Across JapanFree
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.
Fri, Feb 12, 2027 18:00 JST 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.
Sat, Feb 13, 2027 08:00 JST Across JapanInner garden ~¥300 for non-residents; festival grounds largely free.
OfficialUpcoming© Immanuelle · CC BY 4.0Every February the whole of Mount Omuro (580 m) above Izu Kogen is set alight. 2027: Sunday 14 February (planned) — ten signal fireworks at noon, then about 40 minutes of flames racing to the summit. Rain or wind pushes it to the next week.
Sun, Feb 14, 2027 12:00 JST 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.
Wed, Feb 17, 2027 07:00 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialUpcoming© 663highland · CC BY-SA 4.0Ito's annual All-Japan Pillow Fight Championship at the Ito Municipal Gymnasium. The tourist association's calendar lists Sat 20 – Sun 21 Feb 2027, but the 15th edition's official guidelines are not yet published (as of 2026-09-13). From the 14th edition's official rulebook: eight per team (general, libero, three attackers, three support), three 2-minute sets, yukata compulsory, entry fee 5,000 yen per team.
Sat, Feb 20, 2027 09:00 JST Across JapanEntry for the open division was 5,000 yen per team including accident insurance (14th edition guidelines). The fee for the 15th edition has not been announced. The defending champions enter free.
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.
Sat, Feb 20, 2027 22:00 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialUpcoming© Jean-Pierre Dalbéra · CC BY 2.0Kyoto Marathon 2027 runs on Sunday, February 21, 2027, starting at Takebishi Stadium Kyoto in Nishikyogoku at 9:00 a.m. and finishing in front of Heian-jingu Shrine, with a field of 16,000.
Sun, Feb 21, 2027 09:00 JST 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. (Fees per the official race guidelines, as of September 18, 2026.)
OfficialUpcoming© Type specimen · CC BY-SA 3.0Osaka Marathon 2027 runs on Sunday 28 February 2027. General entry closes at 17:00 on 28 August 2026 and lottery results are emailed on 28 September. The ¥16,000 fee is not the final bill — an admin charge and a compulsory charity donation take it to about ¥18,000. Caps, eligibility and race-number collection, straight from the race guidelines.
Sun, Feb 28, 2027 09:00 JST OsakaAn individual general entry costs ¥16,000 in Japan / US$145 from overseas. On top of the entry fee you must also pay an administration charge (6.0% of the settled amount for domestic entries) and a compulsory charity donation of at least two units (¥500 each in Japan), so a domestic individual entry actually comes to roughly ¥18,000. Watching from the roadside is free. (Race guidelines, as of 16 August 2026.)
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.
Wed, Mar 3, 2027 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.
Sun, Mar 7, 2027 09:10 JST 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.
Fri, Mar 12, 2027 11:00 JST 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.
Sun, Mar 14, 2027 08:30 JST 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© 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.
Sat, Mar 27, 2027 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.
Sat, Mar 27, 2027 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.
Sat, Mar 27, 2027 10:00 JST 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.
Thu, Apr 1, 2027 11:00 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialUpcoming© 江戸村のとくぞう (Edomura no Tokuzo) · CC BY-SA 4.0The 53rd Shingen-ko Festival is expected in Kofu in April 2027, but the exact dates are still unannounced as of September 2026. Casting is set: actor Maki Miya as Takeda Shingen — only the third woman in the role — and opera singer Kohei Yamamoto as Yamamoto Kansuke.
Fri, Apr 2, 2027 12:00 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialUpcoming© Chris 73 · CC BY-SA 3.0Dates for Inuyama Festival 2027 had not been announced as of September 18, 2026. The festival falls on the first Saturday and Sunday of April, which points to April 3-4, 2027.
Sat, Apr 3, 2027 08:00 JST NagoyaFree
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.
Wed, Apr 14, 2027 09:00 JST NagoyaFree
OfficialUpcoming© Jean-Pierre Dalbéra · CC BY 2.0KYOTOGRAPHIE 2027 runs 17 April to 16 May 2027, its 15th edition. The dates are confirmed on the official site; the theme, artist line-up, venue list and 2027 ticket prices are not yet announced. For reference, the 2026 all-venue Passport was ¥5,500 in advance (¥3,000 for students) and single-venue tickets ran ¥800–¥1,500, with under-15s free.
Sat, Apr 17, 2027 10:00 JST Kyoto2027 prices are not yet announced (as of September 2026). For reference, the 2026 edition priced the all-venue Passport at ¥5,500 in advance and ¥5,800 online / ¥6,000 paper during the festival, with a ¥3,000 student Passport; single-venue tickets ran ¥800–¥1,500 (student ¥400–¥800), an Express Passport was ¥15,000, and children under 15 entered free. Some programmes 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.
Mon, Apr 19, 2027 09:00 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialUpcoming© Jovandavid · Public DomainThree 12-metre, 20-ton wooden floats — among Japan's largest — are hauled through Nanao's narrow streets.
Mon, May 3, 2027 09:00 JST 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.
Mon, May 3, 2027 10:00 JST 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.
Mon, May 3, 2027 10:00 JST FukuokaFree
OfficialUpcoming© Gregg Tavares · CC BY 2.0The 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).
Sun, May 9, 2027 08:30 JST 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© Guilhem Vellut from Annecy, France · CC BY 2.0Sanja Matsuri 2027 had no announced dates as of September 18, 2026. Asakusa Shrine runs it on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday anchored on the third Saturday of May, which points to May 14-16, 2027.
Fri, May 14, 2027 13:00 JST TokyoFree
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.
Sat, May 15, 2027 08:00 JST TokyoFree
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.
Sat, May 15, 2027 10:30 JST KyotoFree
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.
Mon, May 17, 2027 09:00 JST 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.
Wed, May 19, 2027 08:00 JST KanazawaFree
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.
Sat, May 29, 2027 09:00 JST 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.
Fri, Jun 4, 2027 09:00 JST 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.
Wed, Jun 30, 2027 10:00 JST OsakaFree
OfficialUpcoming© 663highland · CC BY-SA 4.0Held on the Matsukawa in Ito, Shizuoka since 1956: competitors sit in a one-metre washtub and paddle 400 m from Ideyu Bridge to Fuji-no-Hiroba with a paddle shaped like a rice scoop. The 2026 race was on Sunday 5 July; the 2027 date is not yet announced (as of 2026-09-13).
Sun, Jul 4, 2027 09:00 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialUpcoming© elmimmo · CC BY 2.0The 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.
Sun, Jul 11, 2027 08:00 JST 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.
Sat, Jul 31, 2027 18:00 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialUpcoming© 663highland · CC BY-SA 4.0Ito's largest festival honours William Adams (Miura Anjin): lantern floating on the Matsukawa, a taiko battle, then the sea fireworks on 10 August, the city's founding day. 2027 (81st) dates are not yet announced — this page will update.
Sun, Aug 8, 2027 19:30 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialUpcoming© Mila Lai · CC BY-SA 2.0The 2027 Grand Sumo Autumn Tournament (Aki Basho) runs Sep 12–26, 2027 at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo — 15 straight days of top-division bouts. It's a 2-minute walk from JR Ryogoku Station. Tickets go on sale roughly 5–8 weeks ahead via the official English site; arrive by ~15:00 for the makuuchi stars.
Sun, Sep 12, 2027 08:00 JST TokyoPaid, ticketed. Rough guide (approximate 2026 prices — the 2027 fares are released with each tournament, so confirm on sumo.or.jp; as of July 2026): ringside tamari-seki around ¥20,000/person; masu-seki tatami boxes about ¥9,000–15,000/person by tier and day; Western chair (isu-seki) seats from about ¥3,500 (tier C, weekday) up to ¥11,000+ (tier SS). A limited number of same-day chair tickets (tojitsu-ken) are sold at the box office each morning, first-come.
OfficialUpcoming© Hirho · CC BY-SA 4.0**Grand Sumo's Kyushu Basho 2027 runs Nov 14–28, 2027 at the Fukuoka Kokusai Center**, the year's sixth and final honbasho. Fifteen days of top-division sumo close the season; the top bouts run roughly 15:45–18:00 daily. Buy via the official English site sumo.or.jp/EnTicket.
Sun, Nov 14, 2027 08:00 JST FukuokaPaid; buy via sumo.or.jp/EnTicket (international cards accepted), Ticket Pia / Lawson / Seven, or resellers (Klook, Viator, GetYourGuide, JTB) at higher prices with English support. Approximate 2026 prices — 2027 prices are released with the tournament, so confirm on the official site (as of July 2026): ringside tamari-seki around ¥20,000/person; masu box seats roughly ¥9,000–15,000/person by tier and day; Western chair seats from about ¥3,500 (tier C, weekday) up to ¥11,000+ (tier SS). Advance sale typically opens 5–8 weeks before; check the official site for the exact 2027 on-sale date.
OfficialUpcoming© Vetalapancavimsatika · CC BY-SA 4.0Held in full only in even-numbered years, Hie Shrine's grand procession sends a 500-strong parade of courtly costumes and portable shrines on a ten-hour route past the Imperial Palace and Ginza.
Thu, Jun 8, 2028 07:30 JST TokyoFree
OfficialOpen year-round© FingerWiki · CC BY-SA 4.0Umeda dinner-and-concert club in the Herbis Plaza Ent, hosting jazz, soul and pop in an intimate room.
Open year-round OsakaReserved seating with music charge; food and drink ordered on site.
OfficialOpen year-round© Johannes Stage (1889–1962), Norwegian photographer · CC BY-SA 4.0Roppongi dinner-and-concert club in Tokyo Midtown hosting international and Japanese artists across genres.
Open year-round TokyoReserved seating with music charge; food and drink ordered on site.
OfficialOpen year-round© Querar · CC BY-SA 4.0Upscale Marunouchi live restaurant pairing dinner with intimate jazz, soul and world-music concerts.
Open year-round TokyoReserved seating with music charge plus food and drink; reservations recommended.
OfficialOpen year-round© 金沢市 · CC BY 2.1 jpA serene Yoshio Taniguchi pavilion honoring Zen philosopher D.T. Suzuki, built around a still 'Water Mirror Garden' for contemplation.
Open year-round KanazawaAdult ~¥310
OfficialOpen year-round© Jan Schoepe · CC0Naha's vibrant 'kitchen': vivid Okinawan reef fish, pork and produce downstairs, then a 'mochiagari' service cooks your picks at the upstairs eateries.
Open year-round OkinawaFree
OfficialOpen year-round© DrHughManning · CC BY-SA 4.0A lakeside museum in Ohori Park by architect Kunio Maekawa, mixing Dali and Warhol with Buddhist treasures across 16,000+ works.
Open year-round FukuokaCollection ~¥200; special exhibitions vary
OfficialOpen year-round© Hirho · CC BY-SA 4.0The only museum in the world systematically collecting modern and contemporary Asian art — 5,000+ works from 23 Asian countries and regions.
Open year-round FukuokaCollection admission modest; special exhibitions vary
OfficialOpen year-round© Makoragi · CC BY 4.0Historic sake museum in Kyoto's Fushimi brewing district with exhibits, brewery tours and a tasting corner.
Open year-round KyotoPaid admission including a tasting; open 9:30-16:30 (last entry 16:00). Cashless from July 2026.
OfficialOpen year-round© Joi (Joi Ito) · CC BY 2.0A 50-minute sampler of Kyoto's traditional performing arts in one sitting: maiko kyomai dance, bunraku puppet theatre, kyogen comedy, court bugaku dance, tea ceremony, ikebana and koto. The easiest, most tourist-friendly intro to Japanese arts.
Open year-round KyotoAdult from ¥5,500; premium seats ¥6,600. Daily shows at 18:00 and 19:00 (winter Dec–Mar: Tue–Fri only).
OfficialOpen year-round© Felix Riano · CC BY 2.0The shop that invented Kanazawa's gold-leaf soft serve, where a shimmering sheet of edible gold is laid on your cone and you can try gold-leaf crafts.
Open year-round KanazawaGold-leaf soft serve approx. ¥891; craft experiences vary
OfficialOpen year-round© Makoragi · CC BY 4.0Free sake museum in Kobe's Nada Gogo district inside a Taisho-era brewhouse, with life-size displays and tastings.
Open year-round OsakaFree
OfficialOpen year-round© Internet Archive Book Images · No restrictionsIn a Naramachi machiya once home to a Kofukuji monk, taste five Harushika sakes and keep the souvenir glass — sake from the very birthplace of Japanese sake.
Open year-round NaraFive-sake tasting approx. ¥500 with souvenir glass
OfficialOpen year-round© Taisyo at Japanese Wikipedia · CC BY 3.0Japan's first public contemporary art museum, a Kisho Kurokawa landmark crowning Hijiyama hill with bold rotating exhibitions.
Open year-round HiroshimaCollection ~¥370; special exhibitions vary
OfficialOpen year-round© Michael Helmer · Public domainHiroshima's most visited site: a deeply moving record of the 1945 atomic bombing, with multilingual audio guides and free volunteer guides for overseas visitors.
Open year-round HiroshimaAdults ¥200; reservations advised at peak hours
OfficialOpen year-round© K. Takeda at Japanese Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0Central Sapporo's flagship art museum, with 5,000+ works spanning Hokkaido art, the Ecole de Paris, glasswork and modern Japanese painting.
Open year-round SapporoCollection admission modest; special exhibitions vary
OfficialOpen year-round© BradBeattie · CC BY-SA 3.0Hakata's oldest 400 m covered arcade with 130+ shops, eateries and the famous Kawabata zenzai red-bean sweet.
Open year-round FukuokaFree
OfficialOpen year-round© Qiuqizhenghong · CC BY-SA 3.0A public live-house complex and the cultural heart of Koza, Okinawa City's storied music district, hosting local and touring acts.
Open year-round OkinawaTicket price varies by event.
OfficialOpen year-round© そらみみ · CC BY-SA 4.0A Kisho Kurokawa building tucked into Shirakawa Park, strong on the Ecole de Paris, the Mexican Renaissance and local modern art.
Open year-round NagoyaCollection ~¥300; special exhibitions vary
OfficialOpen year-round© Ssemmanda will · CC BY-SA 4.0Nara's famous mochi shop where two artisans pound steaming mugwort rice at blinding speed, then hand you a warm, soft yomogi mochi filled with red bean.
Open year-round NaraFree
OfficialOpen year-round© Hiart · CC0The home of bunraku, Japan's UNESCO-listed puppet theatre, where master puppeteers, tayu chanters and shamisen bring epic dramas to life.
Open year-round OsakaTickets vary by program; English audio guide available
OfficialOpen year-round© pelican from Tokyo, Japan · CC BY-SA 2.0Sapporo's 125-year-old fish market in the heart of downtown: crab legs, sea-urchin, salmon roe and steaming kaisen-don bowls from morning to early evening.
Open year-round SapporoFree
OfficialOpen year-round© Pitke · CC BY 3.0At the home of Kyoto's 1,200-year Nishijin weaving tradition, dress in one of 150+ komon kimono — footwear and underthings included — and stroll the old capital in style.
Open year-round KyotoKomon kimono ¥4,950 (outdoor) / ¥3,850 (indoor); reservation required
OfficialOpen year-round© Venkasub · CC BY-SA 3.0Okinawa's biggest cultural park: explore a vast limestone cave, dress in Ryukyu attire, try bingata dyeing and Ryukyu glass, and catch the daily Super Eisa show.
Open year-round OkinawaAdults ¥2,000; children (4-14) ¥1,000
OfficialOpen year-round© EllieBellie25 · CC BY-SA 4.0A whole building stacked with 23 okonomiyaki stalls: watch chefs layer cabbage, noodles and egg on sizzling teppan in Hiroshima's soul-food theme park.
Open year-round HiroshimaFree
OfficialOpen year-round© AUSH baowHAO 260088 · CC0Kanazawa's 300-year-old kitchen: ~170 stalls of Sea of Japan crab, sweet shrimp and just-sliced sashimi rice bowls under one covered arcade.
Open year-round KanazawaFree
OfficialOpen year-round© DXR · CC BY-SA 4.0In the heart of old-town Asakusa, this beloved yose performs 365 days a year — rakugo storytelling plus manzai, magic, acrobatics and impressions. Drop in any day for an authentic dose of downtown Tokyo entertainment.
Open year-round TokyoBox-office tickets, all unreserved. Day program from 11:40, evening from 16:40.
OfficialOpen year-round© 江戸村のとくぞう · CC BY-SA 4.0A rare surviving wooden yose from the early 20th century, Suehirotei keeps the intimate atmosphere of old Tokyo. Daily rakugo and variety acts in tatami-and-cushion seating, a one-minute walk from busy Shinjuku-Sanchome.
Open year-round TokyoAbout ¥3,500 adults (students ¥3,000; discounted evening entry available). Day from 12:00, evening from 16:45.
OfficialOpen year-round© Wintermelonizm · CC BY-SA 3.0Tokyo's oldest yose (variety hall), founded in 1857, runs daily programs of rakugo comic storytelling alongside manzai, magic, paper-cutting and acrobatics. A relaxed, ever-changing slice of Edo-era popular entertainment.
Open year-round TokyoAround ¥3,500 adults / ¥2,500 students. Day program from ~12:30, evening from ~17:00.
OfficialOpen year-round© Asturio Cantabrio · CC BY-SA 4.0The world's first ramen theme park: slurp regional ramen styles in a recreated 1958 Tokyo backstreet, with gluten-free and vegetarian bowls too.
Open year-round YokohamaAdmission: adults ¥450, children ¥100, under 6 free (ramen extra)
OfficialOpen year-round© Konrad Krzyżanowski · Public domainA striking subterranean museum on Nakanoshima island devoted to postwar and contemporary art, behind a soaring bamboo-like steel facade.
Open year-round OsakaCollection exhibition ~¥430; special exhibitions vary
OfficialOpen year-round© Larry D. Moore · CC BY 4.0A daimyo stroll-garden on the Owari Tokugawa estate, with a central pond, Ozone Waterfall and seasonal peony and iris beds beside a samurai art museum.
Open year-round NagoyaAdmission charged (see official site)
OfficialOpen year-round© Angelo DeSantis from Berkeley, US · CC BY 2.0Tokyo's vast wholesale fish market with tuna auctions, viewing decks and fresh-sushi restaurants open to visitors.
Open year-round TokyoFree
OfficialOpen year-round© PattayaPatrol · CC BY-SA 4.0Dubbed 'Hakata's Kitchen,' this century-old covered alley packs 40-plus stalls of glistening Genkai-sea fish, fugu, and pickles that pro chefs swear by.
Open year-round FukuokaFree
OfficialOpen year-round© Stephen Kelly from San Francisco, CA, USA · CC BY 2.0Retro Shitamachi shopping street near Ueno lined with food stalls, wagashi sweets, croquettes and old-Tokyo charm.
Open year-round TokyoFree
OfficialOpen year-round© Wpcpey · CC BY-SA 4.0Yebisu beer's birthplace at Yebisu Garden Place, with a museum, guided tours and a tasting taproom.
Open year-round TokyoFree
OfficialOpen year-round© Ymblanter · CC BY-SA 4.0A Kenzo Tange landmark in Minato Mirai, freshly reopened after a three-year renovation, strong on modern art and Yokohama-rooted photography.
Open year-round YokohamaCollection admission modest; special exhibitions vary
OfficialPast event© kimubert · CC BY 2.0Glowing arches of hundreds of thousands of lights fill Kobe each winter, a moving memorial turned beloved festival.
Fri, Jan 23, 2026 18:00 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialPast event© 名古屋太郎 · CC BY-SA 4.0Each January, fireworks burst over Nara before the entire grass-covered Mt. Wakakusa is set ablaze in a spectacular winter ritual.
Sat, Jan 24, 2026 17:30 JST NaraFree
OfficialPast event© tab2_dawa · CC BY 2.0One of Japan's three great gardens glows after dark in seasonal light-up events, from snowy yukitsuri ropes to autumn-leaf reflections.
Fri, Feb 6, 2026 17:30 JST KanazawaFree
OfficialPast event© 雷太 · CC BY 2.0A UNESCO World Heritage village of steep thatched gassho-zukuri farmhouses, nestled in a mountain valley that turns magical under snow.
Sun, Feb 15, 2026 09:00 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialPast event© Hyppolyte de Saint-Rambert · CC BY-SA 4.0Monks brandish giant flaming torches along Todaiji's Nigatsudo balcony each March, showering sparks over the crowd in a 1,200-year-old rite.
Thu, Mar 12, 2026 19:00 JST NaraFree
OfficialPast event© Conveyor belt sushi · CC BY 2.0Gion's geiko and maiko perform the elegant Miyako Odori every April, a dazzling spring dance of kimono, music and seasonal scenes.
Wed, Apr 1, 2026 12:30 JST KyotoTickets from around 4,000 yen; tea-ceremony seats cost more
OfficialPast event© Banzai Hiroaki · CC BY 2.0Okinawa's Golden Week dragon-boat festival packs Naha's port with thundering paddle races, music stages and fireworks over the harbor.
Sun, May 3, 2026 09:00 JST OkinawaFree
OfficialPast event© Jose Fernando from Tokyo, Japan · CC BY-SA 2.0One of Tokyo's three great festivals: hundreds of portable shrines parade through Akihabara and the old Edo districts.
Sat, May 9, 2026 08:00 JST TokyoFree
OfficialPast event© Torsodog · CC BY-SA 3.0Asakusa's wildest weekend: nearly 100 portable shrines and two million people flood the streets around Senso-ji Temple.
Fri, May 15, 2026 11:00 JST TokyoFree
OfficialPast event© Danko Georgiev · CC BY-SA 3.0A grand samurai procession reenacts a feudal lord's entry into Kanazawa, complete with armor, geisha and lantern-lit floats.
Fri, Jun 5, 2026 14:00 JST KanazawaFree
OfficialPast event© Dariusz Jemielniak · CC BY-SA 3.0Hiroshima's beloved summer kickoff: locals don yukata and fill the downtown streets for three festive nights.
Fri, Jun 5, 2026 16:00 JST HiroshimaFree
OfficialPast event© OKJaguar · CC BY-SA 4.0Sapporo erupts in color as thousands of dancers perform high-energy yosakoi routines through the streets each June.
Wed, Jun 10, 2026 10:00 JST SapporoFree
LumaPast event© LIFE DESIGN CLUB · via LumaA reflective life-design workshop in Minato on the theme of self-love — journaling and honest conversation.
Sun, Jun 21, 2026 15:00 JST Tokyo¥6,600
OfficialPast event© BLM Nevada · CC BY-SA 2.0Some 20,000 hydrangeas in 50 varieties carpet a hillside temple garden in Uji — including the elusive star-shaped 'shichidanka' — with weekend evening light-ups.
Mon, Jun 22, 2026 08:30 JST KyotoGarden admission approx. ¥1,000 (adults).
OfficialPast event© そらみみ · CC BY-SA 4.0Explore the crimson seat of the former Ryukyu Kingdom, a UNESCO World Heritage site now rising again from its 2019 fire.
Fri, Jun 26, 2026 09:00 JST OkinawaPark areas free; paid zones include the reconstruction site view
OfficialPast event© H.Hmoderato · CC BY-SA 4.0Pick from hundreds of kimono, get dressed by friendly staff, and stroll Senso-ji and the old streets of Asakusa in full traditional style — booking and support in English.
Fri, Jun 26, 2026 10:00 JST TokyoWomen's standard from ¥2,500; with hair set ¥3,500; couple plan ¥6,500 (return by 5:00 pm)
OfficialPast event© Atticus nguyen · CC BY-SA 4.0Learn the graceful art of the Japanese tea ceremony in a traditional Kyoto machiya, hosted in English for visitors.
Fri, Jun 26, 2026 11:00 JST KyotoSessions typically 2,500-6,000 yen; reservations required
OfficialPast event© Hyppolyte de Saint-Rambert · CC BY 4.0One of Japan's most sacred shrines, set in a tranquil ancient forest in Nagoya and home to the legendary Kusanagi sword.
Sat, Jun 27, 2026 09:00 JST NagoyaFree
LumaPast event© Isheba Cornwall · via LumaA free, easygoing gathering for book lovers to read together and swap summer recommendations.
Sat, Jun 27, 2026 10:00 JST TokyoFree
OfficialPast event© KuboBella · CC BY-SA 4.0An English-speaking host walks you through a real matcha tea ceremony — whisking, etiquette and wagashi sweets — in a serene tatami tea room near Senso-ji, with optional kimono rental.
Sat, Jun 27, 2026 11:00 JST TokyoFrom about ¥6,000 per person; kimono-included plans cost more
LumaPast event© Introverts' Home · via LumaA relaxed photo-bingo walking tour of retro Shibamata — gentle, social and great for solo joiners.
Sat, Jun 27, 2026 12:30 JST Tokyo¥2,000
OfficialPast event© Savannah Rivka · CC BY-SA 4.0Suit up in samurai armor, learn the basics of swordsmanship, and throw real ninja shuriken on a guided English tour through Japan's warrior history in Asakusa.
Sat, Jun 27, 2026 13:00 JST TokyoBasic ticket from about ¥3,000 (adult); premium experiences cost more
OfficialPast event© Auckland Museum Collections from Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand · CC BY 2.0Dress in samurai armor, try sword training and throw shuriken on an English guided tour through Japan's warrior history in the heart of downtown Kyoto.
Sat, Jun 27, 2026 14:00 JST KyotoBasic ticket from about ¥3,000 (adult); longer experiences cost more
OfficialPast event© Umio · CC BY-SA 4.0Tour a historic 1909 sake brewery in Kyoto's Fushimi district, see the old tools of the trade, taste the pure underground water, and finish with a sake tasting — all for ¥600.
Sun, Jun 28, 2026 10:00 JST Kyoto¥600 admission (age 20+, includes sake tasting); ¥100 ages 13-19, free under 12
OfficialPast event© Nnaluci · CC BY-SA 3.0Roll and shape your own nigiri and maki under a professional English-speaking instructor, then sit down and eat everything you made — a hands-on intro to sushi steps from Senso-ji.
Sun, Jun 28, 2026 10:00 JST Tokyo¥13,000 per person (ingredients, equipment, instruction and the sushi you make all included)
OfficialPast event© Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.5Learn to hold the brush, control the ink and write kanji the traditional way in a 90-minute English-led shodo class — and take your finished artwork home as a keepsake.
Sun, Jun 28, 2026 11:00 JST KyotoReserve via the official site for current pricing
OfficialPast event© 663highland · CC BY 2.5Stroll Kyoto's historic Fushimi sake quarter, where soft spring water and centuries-old breweries make some of Japan's finest sake.
Sun, Jun 28, 2026 11:00 JST KyotoTastings and museum entry from a few hundred yen
LumaPast event© Nanako · via LumaLie back and feel the resonance of Japanese taiko in an immersive sound-bath session.
Sun, Jun 28, 2026 16:30 JST Tokyo¥7,000
OfficialPast event© tab2_dawa · CC BY 2.0Pair Japan's celebrated Kenrokuen Garden with the restored Kanazawa Castle next door — landscaped ponds, teahouses and white turrets.
Mon, Jun 29, 2026 09:00 JST KanazawaKenrokuen entry around 320 yen; castle park grounds mostly free
OfficialPast event© Carla Antonini · CC BY-SA 3.0Japan's oldest and largest museum in Ueno Park, home to samurai armor, Buddhist art and an unrivaled national treasure collection.
Mon, Jun 29, 2026 09:00 JST TokyoRegular collection around 1,000 yen; special exhibits priced separately
OfficialPast event© Lianguanlun · CC BY 4.0Cook Osaka's soul food — okonomiyaki, takoyaki and ramen — with an English-speaking chef in 'Japan's kitchen', then sit down and feast on what you made.
Mon, Jun 29, 2026 11:00 JST OsakaVaries by menu and group; reserve via the official site
OfficialPast event© M Disdero · CC BY-SA 2.5Train like a real ninja with a licensed Japanese master — sword, dagger, shuriken and blowgun techniques in a downtown tatami dojo, taught hands-on in English.
Mon, Jun 29, 2026 13:00 JST Kyoto1-hour lesson ¥10,000; 2-hour lesson ¥15,000 per person (ninja costume included)
OfficialPast event© Douglas Perkins · CC0Sculpt your own seasonal nerikiri wagashi by hand, then enjoy it with freshly whisked matcha in a kimono — a gentle, English-guided sweets-and-tea workshop near Senso-ji.
Mon, Jun 29, 2026 14:00 JST TokyoAbout ¥12,000 per person (kimono rental, ingredients and utensils included)
OfficialPast event© Jakub Hałun · CC BY 4.0A short ferry from Hiroshima reaches Miyajima, where the great vermilion torii of Itsukushima Shrine appears to float on the tide.
Tue, Jun 30, 2026 09:00 JST HiroshimaFerry and shrine entry each a few hundred yen
OfficialPast event© Tom Parker · Public domainThrow your own bowl or cup on an electric potter's wheel with a third-generation Kyoto ceramicist near Sennyu-ji; your fired piece is shipped to you afterward.
Tue, Jun 30, 2026 10:00 JST KyotoQuick course about ¥2,000 (20 min); standard course ¥5,000 (30-60 min), plus tax
OfficialPast event© Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0Feel the thunder of Japanese wadaiko drums in an English-led lesson — learn the rhythms and stances, then perform together wearing a happi coat, no experience needed.
Tue, Jun 30, 2026 15:00 JST TokyoVaries by plan; reserve via the official site (taiko-reserve.com)
OfficialPast event© summonedbyfells · CC BY 2.0Sit zazen with the head monk inside a 400-year-old temple usually closed to the public, just minutes from Roppongi — a calm, English-guided introduction to Zen with tea and sweets.
Wed, Jul 1, 2026 10:00 JST TokyoPrivate experience — contact the operator for pricing
OfficialPast event© Shakher59 · CC BY-SA 4.0Kabuki's flagship Ginza theatre stages its July all-star run, headlined by a spectacular 13-role quick-change tour de force and a 43-year revival packed with aerial stunts and a real-water finale. English captioning is available.
Thu, Jul 2, 2026 11:00 JST TokyoFrom ¥5,000 (Upper Tier B) up to ¥20,000 (Special Seat). English/Chinese captioning service +¥1,500.
OfficialPast event© Midori (Wikimedia user) · CC BY-SA 3.0One of the Kanto region's largest Tanabata festivals, where central Hiratsuka disappears beneath giant, gaudy bamboo streamers up to ten metres tall.
Fri, Jul 3, 2026 10:00 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialPast event© ajari · CC BY 2.0Explore Kanazawa's gold-leaf workshops, colorful Kutani porcelain and the preserved Higashi Chaya geisha district.
Fri, Jul 3, 2026 10:00 JST KanazawaFree
JmtyPast event© ゆの (Yuno) · via jmtyMingle with a roughly 50/50 mix of Japanese and Korean locals over a 2-hour all-you-can-drink dinner—perfect for K-pop, K-drama and Korean-food fans.
Fri, Jul 3, 2026 19:50 JST TokyoMen ¥4,000 / Women ¥3,000
JmtyPast event© Edge place（エッヂプレイス） · via jmtyA relaxed Korean-conversation meetup at a Kyoto café—practice speaking at any level with seats arranged by ability, then swap contacts over coffee.
Sat, Jul 4, 2026 15:00 JST Kyoto¥1,000 (¥500 if no Korean attendees)
OfficialPast event© Jean-Pierre Dalbéra · CC BY 2.0The Kyoto International Community House hosts cultural exchange events, language cafes and workshops for visitors and residents.
Sun, Jul 5, 2026 14:00 JST KyotoMany events free or low-cost; some workshops ticketed
JmtyPast event© Jupiter（宮澤） · via jmtyA 90-minute introductory aroma hand-therapy workshop in Yokohama, finishing with a relaxed tea gathering—wellness for caregivers and busy minds.
Tue, Jul 7, 2026 13:30 JST Yokohama¥1,000
OfficialPast event© Simon Q · CC BY 2.0Sumo's summer tournament moves into Nagoya's brand-new IG Arena for the first time — fifteen days of top-division bouts in a gleaming 17,000-seat venue.
Sun, Jul 12, 2026 08:30 JST NagoyaTickets required. Arena chair seats start from about ¥3,500; ringside and box (masu) seats cost more. Buy via the official Japan Sumo Association ticket site.
JmtyPast event© 小野精一郎 (@yuru_shougi) · via jmtyA laid-back Japanese-chess afternoon in central Yokohama—beginners welcome, with coaching, free matches and original puzzle cards over a drink.
Sun, Jul 12, 2026 13:00 JST Yokohama¥1,500 (includes one drink)
JmtyPast event© こまつな／江戸川ベースnappa · via jmtyA free, family-friendly Sunday gathering in Edogawa where kids and adults play, sing and connect across English and Japanese—no experience needed.
Sun, Jul 12, 2026 15:30 JST TokyoFree
OfficialPast event© PattayaPatrol · CC BY-SA 4.0Over 30,000 golden lanterns light the approach to Yasukuni Shrine across four summer nights, with Aomori nebuta floats and bon-odori dancing.
Mon, Jul 13, 2026 18:00 JST TokyoFree
OfficialPast event© Internet Archive Book Images · No restrictionsTwelve fan-shaped portable shrines representing the gods meet a procession of giant 50-kilogram flaming torches before Japan's tallest waterfall — one of the country's three great fire festivals.
Tue, Jul 14, 2026 10:00 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialPast event© ちょちょじ · CC BY 3.0Fukuoka's adrenaline-fueled finale: teams race one-ton festival floats through the dawn streets of Hakata.
Wed, Jul 15, 2026 04:59 JST FukuokaFree
OfficialPast event© Corpse Reviver · CC BY 3.0Kyoto's grandest festival fills July with towering wooden floats, lantern-lit evening parties, and 1,100 years of tradition.
Fri, Jul 17, 2026 09:00 JST KyotoFree
OfficialPast event© Nissy-KITAQ · CC BY-SA 3.0Kokura Gion Daiko 2026 was held July 17-19 around Kokura Castle, Kitakyushu -- free entry, an estimated 300,000 visitors over the three days, 400 years of two-sided drumming. The 2027 dates are not yet announced.
Fri, Jul 17, 2026 18:00 JST FukuokaFree
OfficialPast event© Original: Mithun Kunwar
Derivative work: Radomianin · CC BY-SA 4.0Three seaside days of Nepal in Tokyo's Odaiba — momo and dal bhat, Himalayan crafts, folk dance and music against the bay, free to all.
Sat, Jul 18, 2026 10:00 JST TokyoFree
OfficialPast event© Volfgang · CC BY-SA 3.0Tokyo's Brazilian Day festival returns July 18–19, 2026 at Yoyogi Park. Officially Festival Brasil & Latino Tokyo — free entry, samba parades, churrasco and live Latin music, dates and access verified.
Sat, Jul 18, 2026 11:00 JST TokyoFree
OfficialPast event© Globetrotter19 · CC BY-SA 3.0On the 21st of every month, nearly 1,000 stalls fill the grounds of UNESCO-listed Toji Temple with street food, antiques, pickles and crafts beneath its great pagoda.
Tue, Jul 21, 2026 08:00 JST KyotoFree
OfficialPast event© Qiuqizhenghong · CC BY-SA 3.0Otaru's biggest summer festival fills the port with the mass 'Shio Nerikomi' dance and a closing fireworks display.
Fri, Jul 24, 2026 11:00 JST SapporoFree
OfficialPast event© Hasui Kawase · Public domainSado Island's 140th Kozan Matsuri (Jul 25-26) pairs a gold-mine shrine ritual with a town-wide Okesa dance through Aikawa and fireworks over the harbor.
Sat, Jul 25, 2026 10:00 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialPast event© Volfgang · CC BY-SA 3.0The 23rd Shinjuku Eisa Festival was held on Saturday, July 25, 2026, 13:00-20:00, free, on the streets around Shinjuku Station. Around 23 Okinawan eisa troupes drummed through both the east and west sides of the station. The 2027 date has not been announced yet.
Sat, Jul 25, 2026 13:00 JST TokyoFree
OfficialPast event© Mr.ちゅらさん · CC BY-SA 4.0Osaka's thousand-year river festival ends with a flotilla of lantern-lit boats and fireworks reflected on the Okawa River.
Sat, Jul 25, 2026 15:00 JST OsakaFree
OfficialPast event© Chris 73 · CC BY-SA 3.0One of Japan's three great river festivals — lantern-laden 'makiwara' boats glide across the Tenno River by night.
Sat, Jul 25, 2026 18:00 JST NagoyaFree
OfficialPast event© Adbh266 · CC BY-SA 4.0By night, daytime banner floats transform into 'lantern pyramids' — 12 tiers of 309 glowing lanterns swaying as bearers race them through Kitakyushu.
Sat, Jul 25, 2026 18:30 JST FukuokaFree
OfficialPast event© 桜庭シェリー · CC BY-SA 3.0Tokyo's most storied summer fireworks show launches 20,000 shells over the Sumida River with Tokyo Skytree glowing behind.
Sat, Jul 25, 2026 19:00 JST TokyoFree
OfficialPast event© VulcanSphere · CC BY 4.0The planet's biggest cosplay festival: teams from 40+ countries parade through Nagoya and battle for the World Cosplay Championship at Oasis 21.
Fri, Jul 31, 2026 10:00 JST NagoyaFree
OfficialPast event© Alan & Flora Botting · CC BY-SA 2.0Nagoya's quirky downtown district throws a lively summer festival with cosplay, world dance and a wet 'kara-okuri' parade.
Sat, Aug 1, 2026 10:00 JST NagoyaFree
OfficialPast event© Marho · CC BY-SA 4.0A Guinness-record wall of taiko drums thunders through Morioka as thousands of dancers chant 'Sakkora choiwayasse!'
Sat, Aug 1, 2026 18:00 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialPast event© Rosino · CC BY-SA 2.0Hirosaki's own summer lantern parade (Aug 1–7, 2026) — fan-shaped floats and a calmer chant that set it apart from nearby Aomori Nebuta.
Sat, Aug 1, 2026 19:00 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialPast event© Raita Futo · CC BY 2.0The Hakodate Port Festival 2026 is over - it ran 1-5 August 2026. The festival is held on the same calendar dates every year, so the 2027 edition falls on Sunday 1 - Thursday 5 August 2027. Free to attend, 5 minutes' walk from JR Hakodate Station.
Sat, Aug 1, 2026 19:45 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialPast event© Kazehayashi · CC BY-SA 4.0Billed as Japan's noisiest festival: dozens of lantern-lit festival cars thunder through Kuwana to a relentless din of drums and gongs deep into the night.
Sun, Aug 2, 2026 18:30 JST NagoyaFree
OfficialPast event© Fisherman · CC BY-SA 3.0Aomori Nebuta 2026 reserved viewing seats: ¥4,000 prices, the 2026 sale dates (lottery + Jun 27 first-come), how to buy, and access from Tokyo.
Sun, Aug 2, 2026 19:00 JST Across JapanReserved viewing seat ¥4,000 (Aug 7 daytime + fireworks set ¥9,500); handling fee added
OfficialPast event© MIKI Yoshihito · CC BY 2.0How to buy paid grandstand seats at Japan's summer matsuri in 2026: lottery vs first-come, prices, the on-sale calendar and the official links.
Sun, Aug 2, 2026 19:00 JSTPaid grandstand seats from ¥1,000 (varies by festival and tier)
OfficialPast event© Fisherman · CC BY-SA 3.0Giant illuminated warrior floats are paraded through Aomori nightly as chanting dancers leap alongside in a blaze of color.
Sun, Aug 2, 2026 19:00 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialPast event© Cp9asngf · CC BY-SA 3.0Nagaoka's 2026 reserved seats sold out June 17 — the official resale opens July 6 (Japan residents only). Here's the resale route, the unauthorized-resale warning, and where you can still watch for free.
Sun, Aug 2, 2026 19:20 JST Across JapanReserved seats sold out; official resale only (Japan residents), approx. ¥1,000-¥48,000 face value by tier
OfficialPast event© Cp9asngf · CC BY-SA 3.0One of Japan's three great fireworks festivals, famed for the colossal 'Phoenix' shells fired across the Shinano River as a prayer for peace.
Sun, Aug 2, 2026 19:20 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialPast event© 掬茶 · CC BY-SA 4.0Akita's Kanto Matsuri lights up Kanto Odori with about 280 bamboo poles and 10,000 lanterns, balanced on foreheads, hips and palms like glowing rice sheaves.
Mon, Aug 3, 2026 18:45 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialPast event© hildgrim · CC BY-SA 2.0Performers balance towering bamboo poles strung with dozens of glowing lanterns on their palms, foreheads and shoulders.
Mon, Aug 3, 2026 18:50 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialPast event© No machine-readable author provided. Crown of Lenten rose assumed (based on copy · Public domainSome 10,000 dancers twirl flower-adorned straw hats to the rhythmic cry of 'Yassho, makasho!' in one of Tohoku's biggest parades.
Wed, Aug 5, 2026 18:00 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialPast event© かるちる · CC0On summer nights, 20,000 candles flicker across Nara Park's historic grounds in a serene sea of gentle light.
Wed, Aug 5, 2026 19:00 JST NaraFree
OfficialPast event© 掬茶 · CC BY-SA 4.0Sendai Tanabata Festival 2026 (Aug 6–8): the fixed dates, the giant paper streamers, the Aug 5 fireworks, 5-min access from Sendai Station, and what to see.
Thu, Aug 6, 2026 10:00 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialPast event© Nesnad · CC BY 3.0Japan's grandest star festival drapes Sendai's arcades in thousands of giant, handmade paper streamers.
Thu, Aug 6, 2026 10:00 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialPast event© Lonely Planet Japan · CC BY-SA 4.0Around 12,000 fireworks reflect off Japan's largest lake near Otsu in a 40th-anniversary show fused with drones and lasers.
Thu, Aug 6, 2026 19:30 JST KyotoFree
OfficialPast event© Volfgang · CC BY-SA 3.0Asagaya Tanabata Festival 2026 runs Aug 7–11, free, rain or shine. Tokyo's arcade tanabata is famous for giant handmade papier-mâché figures of the year's characters, right by JR Asagaya Station.
Fri, Aug 7, 2026 10:00 JST TokyoFree
OfficialPast event© m-sasaki · CC BY 4.0Fukushima Waraji Matsuri 2026 (Aug 7–9) parades a 12m, 2-ton straw sandal past the station before offering it to Haguro Shrine.
Fri, Aug 7, 2026 18:30 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialPast event© DAI-nk · CC BY-SA 3.0Niigata Matsuri 2026 runs Aug 7–9: a 15,000-dancer folk parade on the 7th, then a Shinano River fireworks finale on the 9th.
Fri, Aug 7, 2026 19:00 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialPast event© Kounosu · CC BY-SA 3.0Yosakoi Festival 2026 (Aug 9–12, Kochi): Otesuji grandstand seat prices, the 2026 sale dates (general sale opens Jun 29), how to buy, and how to get there.
Sun, Aug 9, 2026 13:15 JST Across JapanPaid grandstand seats ¥1,000–¥3,000 per session (group/parasol tables ¥15,000–¥50,000)
OfficialPast event© Midori (Wikimedia user) · CC BY-SA 3.0The original yosakoi: 200+ teams and ~18,000 dancers with naruko clappers thunder through Kochi's streets across four August days.
Sun, Aug 9, 2026 17:00 JST Across JapanFree to watch on the streets; paid reserved (shaded) seats sold for the main venues.
OfficialPast event© Kounosu · CC BY-SA 3.0Awa Odori 2026 (Aug 12–15, Tokushima): grandstand seat prices, the 2026 on-sale dates, how to buy via Ticket Pia, and how to get there.
Wed, Aug 12, 2026 18:00 JST Across JapanReserved grandstand ¥1,000 (C) – ¥3,000 (S); Minami-uchimachi SS ¥6,000 / Special ¥15,000
OfficialPast event© Rosino · CC BY-SA 2.0Japan's most famous dance festival: 100,000 dancers and a million spectators fill Tokushima with rhythm every August.
Wed, Aug 12, 2026 18:00 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialPast event© KASEI · CC BY-SA 3.0Tottori's Guinness-record umbrella dance returns Aug 13–14, 2026 for its 62nd edition — free to watch along the city-center parade route.
Thu, Aug 13, 2026 18:00 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialPast event© Zairon · CC BY 4.0Three thousand bronze and stone lanterns are lit across ancient Kasuga Taisha, filling the shrine's forest paths with a soft golden glow.
Fri, Aug 14, 2026 19:00 JST NaraSmall fee to enter the inner lantern corridors
OfficialPast event© Taichi · CC BY-SA 3.0The world's largest fan convention: hundreds of thousands gather at Tokyo Big Sight to buy doujinshi and cosplay.
Sat, Aug 15, 2026 10:30 JST TokyoWristband entry: ¥1,210 for morning entry (from 10:30) or ¥440 in advance / ¥1,000 same-day for afternoon entry (from 12:30). Lottery-only Early Entry (¥5,385) and cosplay changing-room priority (¥3,385) tickets are sold via TicketPay.
OfficialPast event© Degueulasse · CC BY-SA 3.0Todaiji admission is ¥800 adult / ¥400 child; hours run 7:30–17:30 Apr–Oct (8:00–17:00 Nov–Mar, as of July 2026). This page also covers the Aug 15, 2026 Manto Kuyoe evening, when thousands of lanterns light the Great Buddha Hall and the Kannomado window opens so the Buddha's face is visible from outside.
Sat, Aug 15, 2026 19:00 JST NaraThe Manto Kuyoe evening service itself is a religious observance and is generally viewed from the precinct; on ordinary days, Daibutsuden admission is ¥800 adult / ¥400 child, or a joint Daibutsuden + Todaiji Museum pass ¥1,200 adult / ¥600 child (as of July 2026). Confirm any special-evening entry arrangements on the official site.
OfficialPast event© American Art Association;
Millet, Francis Davis, 1846-1912 · No restrictionsOne of Edo's three great festivals returns to its full triennial form in 2026, with 50+ mikoshi paraded as spectators drench bearers in purifying water.
Sun, Aug 16, 2026 07:30 JST TokyoFree
OfficialPast event© New Zealand Government, Office of the Governor-General · CC BY 4.0Thousands of memorial lanterns drift down the Oi River below Arashiyama as the 'Torii-gata' bonfire of the Gozan Okuribi blazes on the hillside above.
Sun, Aug 16, 2026 19:00 JST KyotoFree
OfficialPast event© 掬茶 · CC BY-SA 4.0Masked dancers in black hikosa-zukin hoods and deep amigasa hats sway through torchlit streets at one of Japan's three great Bon Odori, 700+ years old.
Sun, Aug 16, 2026 19:30 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialPast event© MIKI Yoshihito from Sapporo City, Hokkaido, Japan · CC BY 2.0A thousand women dance through summer night with golden paper lanterns glowing on their heads — Kumamoto's most ethereal festival.
Sun, Aug 16, 2026 20:00 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialPast event© ja:User:Kyoto-u · CC BY 2.5Giant kanji and shapes blaze on five mountains around Kyoto to send ancestral spirits home at the close of Obon.
Sun, Aug 16, 2026 20:00 JST KyotoFree
OfficialPast event© Marco Tambara · CC BY-SA 3.0World-famous taiko ensemble Kodo hosts a three-day island arts festival with thunderous harbour-side concerts under the stars.
Fri, Aug 21, 2026 17:00 JST Across JapanHarbour Concert tickets approx. ¥5,000–7,000 each; fringe events free
OfficialPast event© Akinori Takemoto · CC BY-SA 4.0Roughly 15,000 shells light up the Karasugawa River in under an hour -- the fast, dense fireworks night that opens Gunma's biggest annual festival.
Sat, Aug 22, 2026 19:30 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialPast event© Internet Archive Book Images · No restrictionsOne of Japan's biggest tropical-fish and aquatic-life markets fills an Asakusa hall with around 200 specialist booths.
Sun, Aug 23, 2026 10:00 JST TokyoPaid admission (check the official site for the current ticket price).
OfficialPast event© Katsutoshi Misawa (克年 三沢) · CC BY 2.0Twenty towering yatai floats - hand-built from scratch every year and dressed as scenes from kabuki and legend - parade the streets of Shinjo each August 24-26. This 260-plus-year-old UNESCO-listed float festival reaches a milestone in 2026: its 270th staging.
Mon, Aug 24, 2026 15:00 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialPast event© Sakaori (talk) · CC BY-SA 3.0To mark the close of Mt. Fuji's climbing season, around seventy three-meter torches blaze along the streets of Fujiyoshida — counted among Japan's three most unusual festivals.
Wed, Aug 26, 2026 15:00 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialPast event© Kyu3 · CC BY-SA 4.0Nagoya's huge late-summer dance festival fills the city center with hundreds of energetic teams in a riot of color and choreography.
Fri, Aug 28, 2026 11:00 JST NagoyaFree
OfficialPast event© Tet · CC BY 4.0Okinawa's biggest eisa festival, where drum troupes from across the islands perform thunderous traditional dance under summer skies.
Fri, Aug 28, 2026 15:00 JST OkinawaFree
OfficialPast event© Prosperosity · CC BY-SA 3.0Noboribetsu's hot-spring Hell Festival returns Aug 29-30, 2026: a giant demon float, the 1-ton Oni Mikoshi, mass demon-dancing and fireworks -- free to attend.
Sat, Aug 29, 2026 10:00 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialPast event© Frankie Fouganthin · CC BY-SA 4.0Tokyo's biggest samba parade fills Asakusa with feathered dancers and thundering bateria as competing teams vie for the championship along Umamichi Street.
Sat, Aug 29, 2026 13:00 JST TokyoFree
OfficialPast event© Marufish from Alor Setar, Malaysia · CC BY-SA 2.0Tokyo's own Awa dance takes over Koenji's backstreets as 10,000-plus dancers in 'ren' troupes whirl through the summer night.
Sat, Aug 29, 2026 17:00 JST TokyoFree
OfficialPast event© Drivephotographer · CC0Japan's most prestigious pyrotechnic competition, where the nation's top fireworks artisans battle for the Prime Minister's Award.
Sat, Aug 29, 2026 17:10 JST Across JapanReserved seating required for prime spots (paid); riverbank viewing free
OfficialPast event© さかおり · CC BY-SA 4.0By lantern light, faceless dancers in straw hats move with hushed grace to mournful kokyu strings through old Yatsuo's stone lanes.
Tue, Sep 1, 2026 17:00 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialPast event© Licht Philharmonic Project · © Midori Komai Orchestra Project (official promotional photo, used with permission)Pioneering woman conductor Midori Komai gives her farewell concert on Saturday, September 5, 2026 at Kyowa Wing Hakuba Cultural Hall in Nagano — a one-time-only Hakuba Philharmonic Orchestra playing Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 and other European favourites. Doors 14:00, performance 15:00–17:00. Advance tickets ¥4,500 (students ¥2,000; under-12 free).
Sat, Sep 5, 2026 15:00 JST Across JapanAdvance ¥4,500 / same-day ¥5,000. Nagano residents ¥3,500; junior- and senior-high students ¥2,000; elementary-age and younger free (a free seat ticket is required if the child uses a seat). Post-event archive streaming is also sold on teket (as of 2026-07-21; confirm current details before buying).
OfficialPast event© Volfgang · CC BY-SA 3.0A quirky Tokyo street festival born from a comic rakugo tale, where charcoal-grilled Pacific saury is served with sudachi citrus to long, happy queues.
Sun, Sep 6, 2026 10:00 JST TokyoFree
OfficialPast event© 掬茶 (Kikucha) · CC BY-SA 4.0Every September 7-9, the samurai town of Kakunodate fills with towering yama floats carrying warrior dolls by day; after dark comes the yamabuttsuke, when two floats that refuse to yield are rammed together in a thunderous, adrenaline-charged test of nerve.
Mon, Sep 7, 2026 09:00 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialPast event© Cobalt Fox · Public DomainThe birthplace of the giant 'sanshakudama', this Niigata shrine festival fires the world's largest fireworks shell — a four-shaku, 800kg behemoth.
Fri, Sep 11, 2026 19:30 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialPast event© Shizhao · CC BY-SA 2.5Vietnam Festa in Kanagawa 2026 (Sep 12–13, Yokohama): pho, ao dai shows and water puppets on the bayfront, free — verified dates, venue and access.
Sat, Sep 12, 2026 10:00 JST YokohamaFree
OfficialPast event© そらみみ (Wikimedia Commons) · CC BY-SA 4.0Hojoya runs 12-18 September 2026 - seven days and seven nights at Hakozakigu Shrine in Fukuoka, with several hundred stalls along the approach and around a million visitors. Free to enter.
Sat, Sep 12, 2026 10:00 JST FukuokaFree
OfficialPast event© N509FZ · CC BY-SA 4.0The city's foreigner-friendly hub runs welcome events, language exchange salons, homestay visits and 'warm fellowship' gatherings where locals and internationals mingle.
Sat, Sep 12, 2026 13:00 JST FukuokaFree
OfficialPast event© そらみみ · CC BY-SA 4.0Kitakyushu's biggest summer festival sends massive 'Wasshoi' dance parades and mikoshi through Kokura, capped by fireworks.
Sat, Sep 19, 2026 09:00 JST FukuokaFree
OfficialPast event© Kounosu · CC BY-SA 3.0Teams haul massive wooden festival floats at full sprint through Kishiwada's streets in one of Japan's most thrilling matsuri.
Sat, Sep 19, 2026 06:00 JST OsakaFree
OfficialPast event© Umako · Public domainSome 600 people parade in full samurai costume through Aizuwakamatsu in a 'Lord's Procession' honouring the clan that made a famous last stand in Japan's last civil war.
Sat, Sep 19, 2026 10:00 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialPast event© Jovandavid · Public DomainKanazawa Jazz Street 2026 runs 19-21 September, with a reception live on the 18th: 200-plus mostly free street sets across about 20 spots in central Kanazawa, plus ticketed special concerts.
Sat, Sep 19, 2026 11:00 JST KanazawaFree street performances; paid special concerts vary.
OfficialPast event© ヒタチギ · CC BY-SA 4.0Chiba's biggest street festival draws up to 800,000 visitors -- and in 2026 it moves from its traditional late-July weekend to September 19-20 because of record summer heat.
Sat, Sep 19, 2026 13:00 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialPast event© そらみみ · CC BY-SA 4.0Kumamoto's biggest autumn festival runs Sept 20-21, 2026: about 60 decorated parade horses and a twice-daily armored procession fill the streets, free to watch.
Sun, Sep 20, 2026 06:00 JST Across JapanFree
OfficialPast event© Vassil · CC0Japan's biggest reptile and exotic-animal expo packs Tokyo Big Sight with geckos, snakes, frogs and the breeders who love them.
Sun, Sep 20, 2026 10:00 JST TokyoAdults ¥1,400 advance / ¥1,600 door; elementary ¥700 advance / ¥800 door; preschoolers free.
OfficialPast event© Judgefloro · CC BY-SA 4.0Pet Haku Osaka 2026 runs Sep 21-23 at Intex Osaka. Ticket prices (advance vs door) and the exact rules for bringing your own pet, explained.
Mon, Sep 21, 2026 10:00 JST OsakaAdults (junior-high+) ¥1,300 advance / ¥1,500 door; children (age 4-elementary) ¥700 advance / ¥800 door.