Festivals, exhibitions, pop-ups, and seasonal happenings across all nine regions.
A shrine festival in Shimonoseki honors Emperor Antoku through traditional Shinto rituals, offerings, and cultural performances commemorating the young ruler's tragic death.
2–4 May 2027Yamaguchi · ChugokuHirosaki Park celebrates cherry blossoms with illuminated trees, boat rides across the moat to view reflections on water, and picnicking beneath the flowering branches.
23 Apr – 5 May 2027Aomori · TohokuAnnual shrine festival featuring traditional performing arts, portable shrine processions, and demonstrations of ancient Minato kiyari songs.
5 May 2027Niigata · ChubuAround 600 uniquely designed scarecrows greet visitors each spring, inspired by the philosophy that amusing figures will delight viewers.
20 Mar – 5 May 2027Kumamoto · KyushuColored lights and music illuminate this National Treasure temple in spring, accompanied by a market featuring local goods and specialties.
22 Apr – 5 May 2027Toyama · ChubuThis over 1,000-year-old Ishikawa festival parades three enormous wheeled floats adorned with life-size Kabuki figures and is recognised as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.
3–5 May 2027Ishikawa · ChubuThe Fukiage-hama Sand Festival transforms a Kagoshima beach into an art gallery of large-scale sculptures created by artists and volunteers, with cultural performances.
3–5 May 2027Kagoshima · KyushuBefore the rice-planting season, children parade enormous painted serpents through town while chanting, immersing them in a pond as part of a centuries-old rainmaking ritual.
5 May 2027Tochigi · KantoThis downtown festival features food and craft stalls, agricultural products, and family activities rooted in Ube City's late 18th-century market traditions.
5 May 2027Yamaguchi · ChugokuAn annual festival celebrates umeshu through tastings of classic and innovative plum wine blends alongside local plum-based foods, held at two dedicated Otaru brewing venues.
17 Apr – 6 May 2027Hokkaido · HokkaidoJozankei's 40-year-old spring tradition celebrates through approximately 400 carp streamers suspended above the hot spring town, repurposed from donated family heirlooms.
10 Apr – 10 May 2027Hokkaido · HokkaidoOne of Kanto's largest illuminations features approximately six million lights integrated into a natural landscape at a sprawling venue.
15 Nov 2026 – 10 May 2027Kanagawa · KantoA spring celebration in Komatsu blends Shinto ritual, elaborate festival floats, and children's kabuki performances at two historic shrines.
8–10 May 2027Ishikawa · ChubuThe Aoi Festival is one of Kyoto's three major annual festivals, dedicated to the northern Kamo shrines, with roots reaching back over 1,400 years and featuring equestrian archery.
15 May 2027Kyoto · KansaiA festival held at Kanda Shrine in Tokyo dating back to the 17th century, featuring processions of participants in Heian-period clothing and sacred ceremonies.
13–15 May 2027Tokyo · KantoSanja Matsuri is one of Tokyo's largest traditional festivals, honouring enshrined figures through mikoshi processions and an Intangible Folk Cultural Property ritual dance.
15–17 May 2027Tokyo · KantoA spring festival in Sendai honors feudal lord Date Masamune with ornate floats decorated with scenes from classic literature and theater over two days.
16–17 May 2027Miyagi · TohokuPremier half-marathon running event through Fukushima City's scenic neighborhoods and parks, featuring aid stations every 5 kilometers and spectator support.
17 May 2027Fukushima · Tohoku
