A ramen competition at Okubo Park in Shinjuku, where 64 shops from across Japan take turns over eight phases and visitor votes pick the winner.
Tokyo · 10 Oct – 15 Nov 2026
Uzumasa Kyoto Village (Toei Kyoto Studio Park) fills with yokai every autumn: two evening parades, dance shows you can join, yokai greetings every day and limited yokai food.
Kyoto · 12 Sep – 29 Nov 2026
An exhibition celebrating the absurdist manga Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo through immersive zones themed around its protagonist's battle techniques and surreal world.
Tokyo · 30 Sep – 17 Oct 2026
A Kamiamakusa museum about the Shimabara-Amakusa Uprising and Amakusa Shiro, the sixteen-year-old who led it, told through documents and film.
Kamiamakusa
Reference rates · 2026/10/13
An October festival features a grand procession with a portable shrine led by samurai-clad participants, with local residents bowing in reverence along the streets.
15 Oct 2026Niimi · OkayamaA transformative mobility exhibition brings together automotive innovation, motorcycles, motorsports, and future transportation solutions.
13–16 Oct 2026ChibaEach October, Kumano Hayatama Taisha holds the Mifune Matsuri, two days of sacred processions culminating in a thrilling fast-boat race on the Kumano River.
15–16 Oct 2026Shingu · WakayamaAn exhibition celebrating the absurdist manga Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo through immersive zones themed around its protagonist's battle techniques and surreal world.
30 Sep – 17 Oct 2026TokyoEach autumn, breweries from across Kansai gather in central Osaka for two days of tasting, with more than seventy sake between twenty-six makers.
17–18 Oct 2026OsakaA yearly kimono fair at Shinsaibashi in Osaka, where weavers and dyers from across Japan show their work and short workshops teach the crafts behind it.
14–18 Oct 2026OsakaTokyo's largest Hachiman shrine, established in 1627, holds historical significance as the birthplace of Kanjin-zumo, a precursor to modern Grand Sumo.
TokyoRikugien Garden is one of Tokyo's two great daimyo gardens, with 88 scenic spots recreating famous landscapes celebrated in Japanese poetry.
TokyoIshikawa shrine dedicated to Amenofuyukinu no Mikoto and his son Okuninushi, the Shinto god of nation-building and matchmaking, with subsidiary shrines on the grounds.
Wajima · IshikawaKakegawa Castle served as a strategic fortress for the Tokugawa vassal clans along the Tokaido highway connecting Kyoto and eastern Japan.
Kakegawa · ShizuokaTendai Buddhist temple with National Treasures and a designated scenic garden, featuring ancient Asuka-period Buddhist paintings discovered on interior pillars in 2020.
Kora · ShigaHead shrine of a nationwide network of about 3,000 Tsushima temples, worshipping the deities Gozutenno and Susanoo with legendary origins in the third century BCE.
Tsushima · AichiAlmost all JR trains nationwide, including most shinkansen
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Japan Game Awards 2026: "Pokemon Pokopia" takes the Grand Award, "Word Game" the Game Designers Award, and the Pokemon series a ministry honour for 30 years.
2026/09/15A million and a half people between Tokyo and Yokohama, and almost nobody stops. What is actually in Kawasaki, and why it is worth getting off the train for.
BLEACH Mirrors High just revealed three new Kubo-designed Soul Reapers and a full system trailer. Here's the story, cast, and battle system, explained.
The English guide to Kobito Zukan: what kobito are, the most popular characters from Nabata Toshitaka's field guides, and where to find kobito goods in Japan.
Pandorobo, The Bread Thief, in English: the story of Japan’s beloved bread-stealing character, the picture books, the anime, and Pandorobo merchandise.
2026 is anime's most stacked year ever. Your season-by-season guide to every major release, streaming options, and Japan-only perks.
