Festivals, exhibitions, pop-ups, and seasonal happenings across all nine regions.
By month: October 2026, November 2026, December 2026, January 2027
This handmade winter festival transforms harvested bamboo into intricate lanterns that celebrate Yamaga's heritage as a traditional umbrella-producing town.
6–28 Feb 2027Exact date not confirmed yetYamaga · KumamotoEach spring at Aso Shrine, priests perform the Hifuri Shinji fire-swinging ritual, a mesmerizing ceremony rooted in ancient agricultural tradition.
23 Mar 2027Exact date not confirmed yetAso · KumamotoAround 600 uniquely designed scarecrows greet visitors each spring, inspired by the philosophy that amusing figures will delight viewers.
20 Mar – 5 May 2027Exact date not confirmed yetAmakusa · KumamotoA festival centered on the release of approximately 3,000 sky lanterns creating one of Japan's largest lantern displays, with performances and food.
15–16 Aug 2027Exact date not confirmed yetKoshi · KumamotoA 390-year-old procession through Yatsushiro in Kumamoto, listed by UNESCO, with a turtle-serpent beast and nine canopied floats carried to a riverbank.
22–23 Nov 2027Yatsushiro · Kumamoto
