Festivals, exhibitions, pop-ups, and seasonal happenings across all nine regions.
By month: November 2026, December 2026, January 2027, February 2027
This virtual reality experience simulates a journey to Mars with free walking exploration, rover travel, and views of the planet's distinctive blue sunset.
4 Jul – 1 Nov 2026Shima · MieFootraces run in inflatable T-rex costumes, held in parks, on beaches and at local festivals across Japan since 2022, with adult and juvenile classes.
31 Oct – 1 Nov 2026OsakaA wind ensemble concert celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Evangelion series with music from the franchise performed without video projection.
3 Nov 2026Kobe · HyogoAn autumn horror event at Universal Studios Japan, with park-wide street zombies, new attractions and collaborations.
11 Sep – 8 Nov 2026OsakaAn autumn event synchronizes fireworks and drone choreography with music across an open plaza, creating a panoramic display of light and color.
21 Nov 2026Suita · OsakaUzumasa Kyoto Village (Toei Kyoto Studio Park) fills with yokai every autumn: two evening parades, dance shows, daily yokai greetings and limited yokai food.
12 Sep – 29 Nov 2026KyotoAround 300 works by Mizuki Shigeru, from childhood drawings to the yokai he spent a lifetime recording, at the Kobe Fashion Museum, September to November.
12 Sep – 29 Nov 2026Kobe · HyogoAn autumn exhibition in Shiga where the hidden image of Hyakusaiji, an eleven-headed Kannon of the 8th century, leaves the temple for the first time.
26 Sep – 6 Dec 2026Koka · ShigaA touring sumo exhibition in Nishinomiya with close encounters with wrestlers: topknot styling, rare techniques, and photo and handshake opportunities.
8 Dec 2026Nishinomiya · HyogoImmersive anime collaboration event featuring outdoor attractions, interactive activities, and themed food where visitors experience the Attack on Titan world.
14 Mar – 13 Dec 2026Awaji · HyogoA December light show on the east front of Osaka City Central Public Hall in Nakanoshima, the centrepiece of OSAKA Hikari no Renaissance. Free to watch.
11–25 Dec 2026OsakaAn exhibition in Osaka on the Japanese hell, following the path of the dead through full-size reproductions of painted scrolls and moving projections.
28 Nov – 27 Dec 2026OsakaA New Year countdown festival in Kobe with millions of lights, drone shows, bubble performances and live music, one of Japan's largest illumination displays.
31 Dec 2026 – 1 Jan 2027Exact date not confirmed yetKobe · HyogoThe Evangelion 30th anniversary exhibition comes to Hirakata Park in Osaka, with about 270 hand-painted cels, design material and film artwork.
18 Oct 2026 – 11 Jan 2027OsakaMasked demons swing blazing torches through a temple hall in an ancient winter ritual held twice a day, a prayer for protection from misfortune.
14 Jan 2027Gojo · NaraAt Cape Shionomisaki, a practical piece of land management becomes a spectacular celebration as flaming arrows set the grasslands ablaze each winter.
16 Jan 2027Kushimoto · WakayamaAn exhibition celebrates the absurdist manga Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo through interactive displays showcasing its protagonist's surreal martial arts techniques.
8–24 Jan 2027OsakaThe first night opening of the Nara Prison Museum, with the Meiji-era red-brick prison lit after dark and light, film and sound inside its cell block.
4 Dec 2026 – 31 Jan 2027Nara
