Festivals, exhibitions, pop-ups, and seasonal happenings across all nine regions.
A winter festival celebrates Edo-period scholar Bokushi Suzuki and the region's textile traditions with a 108-lantern Goma fire ceremony by mountain ascetics.
21 Feb 2027Niigata · ChubuAt this over 500-year-old Okayama festival, men in loincloths compete for a wooden stick, with the victor becoming the 'Lucky Man' and receiving believed year-long blessings.
21 Feb 2027Okayama · ChugokuFestival celebrating yokai culture through exhibitions, performances, workshops, and a goods market featuring crafts and interactive activities from across Japan.
22 Feb 2027Kagawa · ShikokuA mid-February festival celebrates Hinase's oyster harvest with fresh seafood, barbecue areas, and regional specialties.
22 Feb 2027Okayama · ChugokuThis Fukushima winter festival features Japan's largest straw sandal, a 12-metre marvel crafted in an Edo-period tradition and carried by volunteer bearers through the city.
21–22 Feb 2027Fukushima · TohokuAn ice festival at Lake Shikotsu showcases sculptures created from sprayed water, complemented by performances, fireworks, and nearby hot springs.
31 Jan – 23 Feb 2027Hokkaido · HokkaidoThe festival illuminates Nagasaki's streets with around 15,000 Chinese lanterns, some reaching 10 metres, celebrating Lunar New Year traditions.
6–23 Feb 2027Nagasaki · KyushuThe Tokai region's largest ramen festival features 30 restaurants showcasing regional bowls and specialty dishes from February onward.
3–23 Feb 2027Aichi · ChubuThe Zao Juhyo Festival showcases Snow Monsters, ethereal ice and snow formations that coat trees in the Zao Mountains, illuminated after dark to create a surreal winter landscape.
27 Dec 2026 – 23 Feb 2027Yamagata · TohokuAn international festival brings together animators and creative professionals to showcase diverse animated works across screenings, competitions, and workshops.
20–25 Feb 2027Niigata · ChubuThis handmade winter festival transforms harvested bamboo into intricate lanterns that celebrate Yamaga's heritage as a traditional umbrella-producing town.
6–28 Feb 2027Kumamoto · KyushuHistoric purification festival where nearly-naked men engage in a spirited struggle to touch the selected Naoi-nin, symbolizing the cleansing of misfortune.
1 Mar 2027Aichi · ChubuA festival celebrating Chofu's cinematic heritage since 1933 connects audiences with the city's continued cluster of film and media companies.
6 Feb – 1 Mar 2027Tokyo · KantoThis winter festival celebrates Japan's regional strawberry varieties through 45 vendors offering themed sweets and merchandise at the iconic Red Brick Warehouse.
5 Feb – 1 Mar 2027Kanagawa · KantoWinter fireworks light up the ski slopes of this snowy mountain town, offering a uniquely beautiful seasonal spectacle.
2 Mar 2027Niigata · ChubuEvery spring the town of Katsuura in Chiba sets out 10,000 hina dolls down shrine staircases, under temple gates, and through the shops and streets between.
1 Feb – 3 Mar 2027Chiba · KantoAn evening celebration on the Rokuroshi Plateau in Fukui features LED sky lanterns against a backdrop of starry skies and fireworks.
7 Mar 2027Fukui · ChubuA 1,200-year-old midwinter festival features bare-chested men competing to ascend to the temple and offer prayers to the protective deity Bishamonten.
7 Mar 2027Niigata · Chubu
